A CHILDREN’S worker was hunted down and stabbed by a revengeful teenager.

Knife-wielding Nathan Prescott, 19, targeted Liverpool City Council employee William Cleator due to his involvement in helping remove several young children from a Liverpool family.

Prescott was given a nine- year sentence at a Young Offenders’ Institute.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Prescott had tracked down Mr Cleator following his involvement in a court hearing surrounding the family, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Prescott confronted Mr Cleator during his regular early morning dog walk and threatened him with the help of a gun-wielding pal.

Mr Cleator was only saved from serious injury by his large Japanese Akita dog, who leapt to his defence.

Judge Adrian Lyon said: "It’s difficult to imagine a more serious offence than a wounding involving the targeting of a public official because of his action in supporting the family courts.

"You went there in companion with a friend who was in possession of a gun, or what would appear to have been a gun." The judge told Prescott it was only his young age and his previous good character that spared him a sentence in double figures.

The court heard Mr Cleator was now changing his job.

Tom Watson, prosecuting, told how Mr Cleator had been taking his usual walk around Arncliffe fields, Halewood, when he was approached shortly after 6.30am on July 29, last year.

Prescott told him: "You need to keep out of other people’s business."