A 13-YEAR-OLD tearaway took his mother's car so he could drive to meet friends.Unlicensed and uninsured, the Ipswich youngster drove from his Ipswich home to Felixstowe.

A 13-YEAR-OLD tearaway took his mother's car so he could drive to meet friends.

Unlicensed and uninsured, the Ipswich youngster drove from his Ipswich home to Felixstowe.

The boy's tearful mother yesterday told South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court of her plight - and admitted she was reluctant to have her son back home.

She said: "He refuses to go to school. He has no respect for authority at all.

"I haven't even decided if I want him to come home yet because I am so angry. My children don't want him back either. He is a bully. He is horrible to them all the time.

"He takes no notice of me whatsoever. I have been to social services for help. He is a real problem."

District Judge David Cooper told the court: "For a boy of his age, he is getting completely out of control. If he carries on like this, I am going to send him into detention."

Praising the boy's mother, he added: "I am very pleased you have taken the action you did."

The boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, admitted to the court that he took the car, drove without insurance, did not drive in accordance with a licence and stole half a bottle of vodka from his mother.

Ian Pells, prosecuting, told the court that on the evening of May 13, the boy's mother had gone out leaving the car at home and the boy to baby-sit.

But, the court heard, when she returned home the car missing, her daughter was asleep inside and the defendant had gone.

The boy, who was arrested in the early hours, admitted taking the vehicle.

Mr Pells said: "He said friends had called him and he had to go and see them. He said he met friends in a car park."

Mr Pells added that he had been specifically told the boy had not drunk the alcohol.

Judge Cooper adjourned the case until June 7 for a pre-sentence report.

In the meantime, the boy has been remanded into the care of the local authority, is under an 8pm to 6am curfew and is not allowed to return home or contact his mother.

Speaking to the boy, Judge Cooper said: "I am going to deny you bail. I really do believe you would commit offences. You shouldn't blame your mother - she is doing the right thing.

"Carry on like this and you will end up in detention. You should give your mother a break. You have only got to look at her to see how tired and worn down (she is) by what you are doing."