Two 15-year-old boys have appeared in court charged with kidnapping, after an incident in which a car was stolen with the owner’s two young children still inside.

The boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Both entered not guilty pleas to two counts apiece of kidnap, but each admitted a single separate allegation of aggravated vehicle-taking.

One of the youngsters, who had been further charged with driving without a licence and driving without insurance, also entered guilty pleas to both those offences as well.

Officers were called to an incident in the city just after 5pm on Saturday, when the car’s owner reported his Nissan Note had been stolen from his driveway with his sons, aged two and four, still inside.

Police were able to bring the car to a halt on the A38 Bristol Road, near the busy Belgrave Interchange.

Both children, who were on the car’s back seats, were reunited with their parents at the roadside a short time later.

During the court hearing, District Judge Shamim Qureshi said the aggravated vehicle-taking offence had involved several elements, including the car being driven dangerously, causing “damage to another vehicle as a result, and also injury was caused to a young child” in the car.

The case was adjourned, with both youths conditionally bailed until February 25, to allow further time for prosecuting lawyers to consider the charges.