A SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD youth convicted of breaking a 14-year-old boy's nose in a vicious attack in the centre of Devizes has been told he could face a term in a young offenders' institution.

The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Kennet Youth Court in Devizes on Thursday to answer the charge that he had breached the 120-hour community punishment order he was given for the attack on the boy.

The court also heard that he has failed to pay £650 compensation to his victim, who had to have reconstructive surgery on his nose and will have to undergo a further operation when he is 17.

A representative of the Wiltshire Youth Offending Team told magistrates last Thursday that the youth had shown poor compliance with the community punishment order and was brought back to court on September 10, charged with breaching the order.

The order was allowed to continue, with an extra five hours added for the breach, but the youth failed to turn up at his first appointment afterwards, on September 15, and then the following week, on September 22.

Nearly 75 hours remain to be completed on the order and the Youth Offending Team asked the bench to revoke the order and sentence the youth in some other way.

The court also heard that the youth breached a previous supervision order imposed in January 2000 when he was convicted of a serious indecent assault.

At one point the situation had become so serious the youth was electronically tagged to make sure he complied with the supervision order.

Michael Pulsford, defending, said his client was going to get a self-employed National Insurance card so he could take on work with a local builder.

The youth was convicted at Kennet Magistrates Court in Devizes at the end of March after pleading not guilty to a charge of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm. The court heard that the youth interrupted his victim and his cousin while they were playing football on the Green on the afternoon of October 30 last year. The youth tried to take the ball from the boy but when he resisted the youth punched him five times in the face.

Presiding magistrate Joanna Robertson called for an "all options" report, which will include the possibility of incarceration in a young offenders' institution.

The case was adjourned until October 22 at North Wilts Youth Court at Chippenham.