A 16-year-old boy has admitted posting messages on Facebook urging others to start riots in Worcester.

Johnny Melfah went on the social networking site and posted messages during the recent riots.

As well as encouraging others to riot in Worcester and Droitwich, the teenager talked about looting shops and at one point talked about targeting the Apple store in Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre in the hope of stealing an iPad.

Yesterday Melfah, of Thames Drive, Droitwich, appeared at Worcester Youth Court where he admitted inciting others to commit a crime between Monday and Thursday, August 8-11.

Again the magistrates chose to remove Melfah’s right to remain anonymous because of his age. Chairman of the bench Linda Griffin said it was in the public interest to name Melfah to deter others from carrying out public order offences.

Sam Dixon, prosecuting, said police received an anonymous call on August 9 expressing concern about messages posted by Melfah on a Facebook page called Letz Start a Riot. Mrs Dixon said: “The posts were encouraging people to riot in Droitwich and Worcester.

“Information stated that they used the Blackberry Messager Service to support the webpage.”

Police went to Melfah’s home and viewed his personal Facebook profile page on which he had posted several comments relating to the riots in both London and Birmingham.

One of the messages said “Anybody want to start some riots in Worcester?”

Another said: “Got to take a trip to Brum tomorrow, woohoo.”

The comments also made reference to getting a free iPad. In a conversation with another Facebook user he said: “Want to go tomorrow to get inside the Bullring and the Apple store.”

Sam Lamsdale, defending, asked magistrates to adjourn sentencing for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

She said: “He lives at home with his mother and siblings. There is no entrenched history of offending.”

Sentencing was adjourned until September 14.

Melfah was released on bail on condition he lives at home, is subject to a curfew between 9pm and 7am and co-operates with the Youth Offending Service.