A teenage robber who went on a one-night crime spree, leaving two men in hospital with stab wounds, has been locked up for five years.

The 16-year-old boy robbed, assaulted, and stabbed the victims in the space of just two-and-a-half-hours between June 1 and 2.

The rampage began at about 10.50pm when the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and a group of others targeted a man walking along Westfield Road, Peterborough, listening to music through headphones.

The victim was knocked to the ground, stamped on, and kicked in the face.

His headphones were stolen, and he handed over his phone after being threatened with a knife.

Forty minutes later, wearing a mask with others, the boy walked in the middle of the road along Willonholt, Raventhorpe in Peterborough.

A man driving along the road stopped and got out but was stabbed in the neck and back.

Then, at just before 1am, the boy approached a man who was walking along a footpath towards Middleton Primary School, South Bretton, Peterborough.

The victim was playing on his phone when the teenager ran towards him from behind and stabbed him in the lower ribs and arm.

As he turned around, he was told to leave his phone on the ground.

The victim did so, ran off and flagged down a vehicle to take him to the hospital.

Police were alerted and the boy was arrested with a victim’s phone on him. His accomplices have never been traced.

Inquiries also revealed a mobile phone left at one of the scenes belonged to him and CCTV showed him in the vicinity of the crime scenes.

On Friday (December 10) at Peterborough Crown Court, he was sentenced to five years in a Young Offender’s Institution, after previously pleading guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and two counts of robbery.

Detective Sergeant Justin Parr said: “These attacks were brutal and must have been terrifying for the victims.

"The victims will no doubt be scarred for the rest of their lives from these horrific attacks.

“Knife crime is quite rightly a concern to our communities which is why we are working so hard to disrupt those who carry weapons.”