THREE "yobs" decided to take the law into their own hands when they attacked a teenager in a Derby bookmakers.

Anize Ali, Kareem Ali and Imraz Ali, who are all related, assaulted the 17-year-old in William Hill bookmakers in Stenson Road, Derby, grabbing him and punching him as he played on a fruit machine.

The teenager had allegedly attacked Kareem eight months earlier, inflicting injuries that included fractured ribs and a punctured lung.

Kareem, 27, had reported the incident to police, who carried out an investigation but because of conflicting evidence and therefore no realistic prospect of conviction, no charges were brought.

Sentencing the men, Judge Andrew Hamilton said: "You not only attacked him but a customer service assistant was present in the shop and was terrified by seeing a customer beaten up by three yobs. It must have been terrifying for her."

He added: "You may have disagreed with the police's decision but you simply do not take the law into your own hands.

"You went straight up to him and deliberately attacked him, beating him up. It's terrifying and petrifying for members of the public, who witnessed three hooligans attacking someone."

Derby Crown Court heard that on March 9 at 5.30pm, Imraz, 20, had initially grabbed the teenager but he managed to get free, so then Kareem got hold of him.

Lisa Gill, for the prosecution, said Imraz had thrown a punch at the victim and then the other two joined in.

She said that Imraz had then thrown a stool towards the victim but it had missed.

The three men admitted affray.

Michael Cane-Soothill, for Imraz, said: "With the frustration that, from his perspective, nothing had been done by the police and knowing what had happened to his cousin, he lost his temper.

"He knows he shouldn't have lost his temper in the way he did."

Steven Coupland, for Anize, 25, said the defendant described it as being "the biggest error of judgement he had ever made".

Eddy Leonard, for Kareem, said her client was seriously injured in the January attack and still had a fractured rib.

Imraz, of Balfour Road, Pear Tree, who had a previous conviction for violence, was jailed for eight months.

Anize, of Upperdale Road, Derby, and Kareem, of Green Avenue, Chaddesden, were given eight-month prison sentences, suspended for two years.

Anize and Kareem were ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work, abide by a curfew between 8pm and 5am and pay £200 each in compensation to the victim.