A Kent teenager has admitted shouting abuse and sticking his middle finger up at police during riots in London.

The 15-year-old, who can’t be named for legal reasons, called officers p****s, c**** and also threatened them as they arrested him after his vulgar gesture was caught on police cameras.

The boy, who is from Tunbridge Wells, was among the youngest to be charged after widespread disorder broke out in the country last month after the killing of three young girls in Southport.

He appeared at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court this afternoon (August 23) where he pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour after the protest he attended near Whitehall on July 31 ended in violence.

James Nichols, prosecuting, said: “There was a protest called Enough is Enough outside Downing Street and police had put certain conditions in place in the area.

“The protest had to conclude by 8.30pm and anyone taking part had to then disperse from the area.

“Some protesters strayed from the area and it turned violent and at 8.30pm those protesting did not disperse and officers were sent in to disperse them.

“His (the teenager’s) involvement was that he put his middle finger up and this was caught on video (police) and then he called an officer a p****.

“It was 8.40pm and he was arrested by an officer as he was still there and started shouting, ‘I hope you die you c***s’ and then said, ‘f*** you and wait until I get you in a minute’, then called the officers p***s again.”

Mr Nichols also told the court the boy had never been in trouble with the law before.

Bill Ma, defending, told District Judge William Nelson his client had joined the protest as he wanted to express his opinion over knife crime, but that he thought the demonstration was a peaceful one.

Mr Ma added: “He stuck his middle finger up to the camera and he abused an officer, but that was after he was handcuffed.

“He was arrested on August 8, at 6am and not released from custody until 6pm that day. He’s never been in trouble before and it was (custody) a frightening experience for him.

“He’s now come to the realisation that he’s very sorry and that it was silly how he was acting.”

Judge Nelson asked the boy why he had gone to London that day and the boy told him he went with a friend as he thought the protest was a peaceful one.

He wanted to voice his concerns over knife crime because three girls had been killed in Southport, he added.

Judge Nelson asked: “Do you accept what you did was beyond protesting and not what you were told (it being peaceful)?

“Do you understand you got wrapped up in this national issue? It’s so serious a judge had to deal with you. I have already sent others (rioters) to prison, but you are on the bottom end of that and I think immaturity played a part, but I have seen the footage.

“You have been very foolish, you made a foolish decision, the protest was not what you were led to believe it was and it became disgusting and it was racist and violent.

“What you did, you got carried away as a young 15-year-old in a group of men who should have known better. I think you got gathered up in that and behaved not as you usually do.”

As a result, the judge said he would place the teen on a nine-month conditional discharge and told him if he didn’t commit another offence within that time, the court would not take any further action.

However, he also reminded him that if he did re-offend in that time, he may be resentenced.

The boy was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 as well as £85 court costs.