CUSTOMERS at Carlisle’s city centre McDonald’s scattered in panic as a 14-year-old boy burst into the restaurant and brandished a knife.

A CCTV camera captured the dramatic moment that the teen walked through the front doors of the Scotch Street business with the blade held aloft in his hand.

This footage was played at Carlisle Youth Court as the boy admitted two offences.

One was affray having used or threatened unlawful violence towards others with his conduct being such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety.

The second offence involved threatening a person with an offensive weapon and causing the person who was subject to that threat to think there was an immediate risk of physical harm to them.

Prosecutor Peter Bardsley told the court the incident had occurred on Tuesday, 30th January.

Mr Bardsley said of the youth: “He has gone into McDonald’s with one other person. People have scattered because he has got a knife with him at the time. He has then threatened another person with the knife.”

As people fled, the boy’s apparent accomplice — his face concealed by a hooded top — began punching out at a person who had been sat with others.

Defence lawyer Ant Wilson said the incident was born out of “retribution” with a member of the group inside the restaurant alleged to have committed an earlier serious violent assault.

“That is why he has gone there,” said Mr Wilson of the 14-year-old. “It is not the general public who were targeted.”

The lawyer added of the boy: “He was never going to use the knife. He wanted to frighten him. That’s what he has done.”

Youth justices adjourned the case. They asked for the preparation of a full pre-sentence report giving full details about the boy’s background before punishment is passed.

A sentencing hearing was provisionally set for February 23, and in the meantime the boy has been remanded into youth detention.