Melbourne 'tram joyrider' caught

The boy is said to be fascinated with trams

An Australian teenager said to be obsessed with trams is facing charges over the theft of two trolley cars in the city of Melbourne.

Police said the unnamed 15-year-old boy first managed to drive a tram a few hundred metres (yards) on Friday.

On Sunday he allegedly drove another tram around the city for 30 minutes, even stopping to pick up passengers.

He is said to have travelled 30km (19 miles) before the tram's electricity supply was cut off and he was arrested.

"He's a nice lad, he's a good lad... I think his obsession just got the better of him," police constable Barry Hills told reporters.

"It appears... that this young lad has been travelling around on the trams for some time and has been observing the drivers and observing the operating procedures," Mr Hills said.

Police believe he took tram keys from a depot three weeks ago.

The boy was released on bail to face several charges in court in June.

However, police said they saw no reason why the teenager could not become a tram driver in the future.

"If he stays on the straight and narrow, then it's certainly not going to affect his future," Mr Hills said.