THE Echo can name and shame the 16-year-old thug who has been locked up for humiliating and robbing three schoolboys of their clothes.

Our reporter got a court order lifted, so we can reveal it was Shawn Mackenzie who told a group of 14-year-olds he had a knife, before making one of them strip down to his boxer shorts.

Yesterday, Caroline Gardiner, prosecuting, said Mackenzie approached the boys on a platform at Southend East railway station.

He said to one of the victims: “If you don’t give me your jumper, I’ll stab you. I’ve got a knife in my pocket.”

Ms Gardiner said the boys were extremely scared and two of them handed over their jumpers.

Mackenzie made the boys get on to a train and threatened to stab them if they made any noise – although a weapon was never produced.

He ordered them off at Westcliff railway station and took them to some nearby bushes, where he made them empty their pockets.

Mackenzie of Southend Road, Great Wakering, told one of the boys to take off his shirt and trousers, which Mackenzie then threw over a fence. The victim refused to remove his boxers when asked and Mackenzie tried to punch him.

The boys eventually managed to escape and got on to a train. They reported their 40-minute ordeal to police, after identifying Mackenzie and his alleged accomplices on Facebook.

Mackenzie was arrested the following day and admitted three counts of robbery.

In mitigation, Charles Langley said the incident was a “childish prank and humilating act” and Mackenzie didn’t get any sexual gratification from the ordeal he started, at 10pm on April 20.

Mackenzie also admitted robbing a 16-year-old boy of his mobile phone and jacket, while threatening him with a knuckle-duster, at Southend East railway station on February 4.

Mackenzie was sentenced to 18 months in a detention centre for the four robberies.