A teenager who subjected his neighbours to months of 'manic screams', aggressive banging and knocking on walls, leaving them sleep deprived and distressed, has appeared in court.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted breaching a community notice which was designed to stop him from committing anti-social behaviour.

However, when the 16-year-old appeared before magistrates at Norwich Youth Court yesterday, magistrates decided not to issue him with a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), instead saying the youth would benefit most from support from mental health services.

The court heard how, over two periods from December 1 to 10, 2018 and then from December 19 to January 2, the teenager broke the community protection notice by repeatedly banging and tapping on the wall his south Norfolk home shared with a neighbouring property.

Prosecuting, Victoria Jempson told the court how neighbours had been getting little sleep and had been subjected 'to constant knocking and banging' which had been 'going on for months' at all hours of the day.

Claire Edgeler, mitigating, told the court that the teenager 'accepted that the neighbours had been harassed, distressed and alarmed' by his behaviour but that a CBO would not be appropriate.

Detailing several attempts made by the teenager's parents to get support for learning difficulties, Ms Edgeler said 'it had always been noted that [they] had problems with educational and learning difficulties' which has led to a diagnosis of mixed neurological disorder earlier this year.

Concluding the case, presiding magistrate James Dinnes told the 16-year-old: 'We are not going to make a CBO today, because we find [you] not to be a serious or persistent offender and it will not help or prevent your behaviour.'

Issuing a referral order which will require the teenager to see the Youth Offending Team for a period of nine months, Mr Dinnes continued: 'This will give you some support and help but not to the full extent that should be getting, we think that is very important.

'We have been really impressed with your behaviour today, you came to court and you really engaged.

'What you really need is support from the mental health services,' he said.