TWO teenage burglars who threatened a pregnant woman with a knife have been jailed for more than three-and-half years each.

The 16 and 17-year-old were sentenced to three years eight months each in a young offenders' institution at York Crown Court on Tuesday.

The two boys from Scarborough pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary with intent after they both entered a flat in the old town area of Scarborough and stole cash, a safe and a purse last October.

One of the youths also carried a bread knife which he used to threaten the woman at the property. The victim and her unborn baby were unharmed but police said she was "extremely distressed".

Following the sentence, Detective Constable Rachael Hughes, of Scarborough CID, said: “This was a horrific knifepoint robbery against a pregnant woman. What makes this incident even more alarming is the age of the defendants, the youngest of which is just 16. Fortunately though, they were very quickly tracked down within hours of the incident after they were recognised by a neighbourhood policing officer and detained.

“The victim and other residents can rest assured that these offenders will be off the streets of Scarborough for some time while they serve custodial sentences.”