A LANDMARK order was made in Oxford after the first teenager in the country was given a GPS tracker that he will have to wear for six months.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was handed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) that requires him to wear a Buddi tag for half a year after committing a string of offences in Oxford and Didcot.

PC Mike Ellis, Oxford anti-social behaviour officer, said this was the first case in the country where an under-18 had been given that punishment.

He said: "We believe there may have been a similar order made with an adult in London but this is the first in the country with a youth.

"I think it will be very successful not just in this case but also in the future."

The teenager had committed a series of offences in November 2015 including robbery and burglary.

He was given a youth order and was working with the youth offending services when he committed further offences including threatening a 14-year-old girl with a replica firearm and brandishing a firearm in the street in Didcot.

PC Ellis added: "As a result of his previous offending we applied for a CBO and part of that order we asked for six months he be subject to a GPS tracking tag called a Buddi tag.

"He must wear it at all times and it allows us to see if he is involved in any anti-social behaviour we get reported to us.

"The tag allows us to see if he has been in the area where the crime took place or whether he is behaving himself.

"This is really to act as a deterrent to the offender as they know we will be able to see whether they were near where a crime took place.

"It is also in his interest because if he is not doing anything wrong, and not going to the places he should not be – then great."

The order was granted in April this year and PC Ellis, who has been in the police service for more than 25 years, said if the tag was used more as part of CBOs and bail support packages it could help ease the burden on youth offending services.

He said: "The youth offending services do all they can to stop a defendant from going into custody, which means they use a lot of time and resources to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing.

"With the tag it will take the pressure off offending team officers, allowing them to concentrate on the more complex cases."

It is also hoped the GPS tracking tag could also be used as part of a domestic violence prevention order.

PC Ellis added: "At the moment in America they are introducing the tags in domestic abuse cases.

"The perpetrator is required by court to wear a tag and the victim can volunteer to wear one also.

"Police and the victim can then be notified by a text message if the perpetrator is within a close proximity of the victim.

"It is not going to change people but if you need to keep a close eye on them whilst that community work, they've been ordered to complete is going on, it gives us flexibility."