A 16-year-old boy who bought a crossbow on eBay and killed a hedgehog with it has been given a three month referral order.

The unnamed boy was reported to police by neighbors after he was spotted shooting the weapon near his home in Waltham Abbey.

The boy admitted to officers that he had shot the animal and showed them where it was located.

He also handed over the crossbow.

At Chelmsford Crown Court, the boy admitted possessing the crossbow without the supervision and using the weapon "for the purpose of killing a wild animal," illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Chair of the bench Mrs Susan Box imposed the referral order and warned him how dangerous his actions were, saying: "If you had mis-aimed you could have killed someone."

Natasha Nair, mitigating, said: "He's of good character and was co-operative with the police."