A BONHILL teenager tried to run away from police officers so they couldn't find his knife.

The boy, who we cannot name for legal reasons, attempted to run away from cops after they were searching the people he was around on October 15 last year.

Fiscal depute Laura Martin said that at around 11pm, police had reason to attend O'Hare in Bonhill and search a group of young men.

It was then that the 17-year-old tried to make off. Police managed to eventually restrain him and found a knife in the pocket of his top.

The first offender appeared in the dock at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on July 4 where he pleaded guilty to having a lock-back knife in a public place without a reasonable excuse or lawful authority.

He also admitted to intentionally obstructing a police constable from exercising their powers when he ran away and attempted to escape.

His lawyer Scott Adair said: "It is a fairly positive [social work] report. It would appear that this incident has had an effect on him and his use of alcohol.

"There was an approach of going out, wandering the streets drinking and that seems to have been curtailed after dealing with the police."

Sheriff Lindsey Kooner said: "You are only 17 years of age. I had considered whether or not a restriction of liberty order could be something enforcing in this case, but I am not going to do that, having taken into account your efforts to find employment.

"These are serious charges and I know the social worker has discussed with you how catastrophically wrong things can go if a young person is in possession of items such as you were. But you have no record."

As a direct alternative to custody, the teenager was placed on a community payback order for 12 months of social work supervision and ordered to complete 160 hours of unpaid work.