A 13-year-old traveller said he indecently assaulted two 12-year-old girls because he was dared to by an older boy.

The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted touching the girls in a Dorset field during the early evening on Monday.

He was made the subject of a four-month referral order - meaning he must comply with a contract of activities put together by a panel of youth workers - and ordered to pay £43 costs.

As the offence is the youth's first, the maximum sentence he can receive is a 12-month referral order, but District Judge Roger House made the order for just four months - only a month above the minimum possible sentence.

At Poole Youth Court the teenager admitted two counts of intentionally touching a girl under the age of 13, the touching being indecent.

Ian Graham, prosecuting, told the court the girls had been walking their dogs in the field and had tried to stay away from the travellers.

He added: "Four boys approached the girls and started talking to them and the girls realised that they were travellers.

"They began to touch the girls by putting their arms around them." Andrew Dixon, mitigating, said the youth had been dared to touch them by an older boy.

He added:" He accepts it was the wrong thing to do. He should have resisted and he should not have gone along with what was said to him by the older boy."

The case of a 10-year-old boy - who faces the same offences - was adjourned until September 23 while police decide whether he is old enough to understand what he is accused of.

A third youth was detained and released without further action while police are still making enquiries about the fourth boy.

The incident is not linked to the occupation by travellers of the 2Riversmeet site in Christchurch.

First published: August 27