HULL's top judge has criticised police and prosecutors for bailing two alleged axe-wielding robbers.
Judge Michael Mettyear has told both authorities the decision was "wrong" and their systems need to be reviewed.
The men are accused of threatening a teenager with an axe in Bransholme and marching him to a cash point to withdraw all of his money.
Once arrested, the men were charged with robbery and possessing a bladed article and were given police bail. They were later given bail at Hull Magistrates' Court.
Judge Mettyear, the Honorary Recorder of Hull and the East Riding, has now demanded Humberside Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) explain their actions to him.
He said: "The magistrates will have been told to leave them on bail because no further offences have been committed, and it is wrong.
"The prosecution should be saying to the magistrates it is wrong and making submissions. The CPS should be reinvestigating the question of bail and, had they done that in this case, bail would not have been granted.
"These two should never have been on bail. I want some feedback on this. I want to know something has been done."
The victim was robbed in Goodhart Road, Bransholme, on September 20 when two men are alleged to have confronted a 17-year-old boy as he walked along the street and pushed him against a fence.
It is alleged they struck the axe at his head, narrowly missing him and the weapon became embedded in the fence.
The alleged victim was reportedly taken to a cash point and ordered to withdraw all his money before the offenders made off with £180.
The police later arrested and charged two men with robbery and possessing a bladed article in a public place and granted them bail.
When the case went to Hull Magistrates' Court on November 15 the magistrates then granted them bail again.
Judge Mettyear told the CPS they should have appealed the bail decision.
He said: "They should have told the magistrates what their duties are. The magistrates are being misled.
"It is no criticism of the defence, it is a culture. I thought I had put a stop to this a few years ago. It is wrong.
"It is not only the magistrates, it is the remand at the police station. The sergeant who goes over all the evidence there should be reassessing it and not just granting bail.
"The police, CPS and magistrates need to be saying we have a responsibility of relooking at this, then they have a further duty of appealing this."
A spokesperson for Humberside Police said officers have been in contact with the judge.
Catherine Ainsworth, District Crown Prosecutor with CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said: "We are working closely with Humberside Police in light of the comments.
"We understand the public must be assured we will oppose bail for defendants where appropriate and we are aware of the risks that some defendants can pose to victims and the public.
"We take issues such as this with the utmost seriousness and we are investigating why the bail decision was not questioned when the case came before the magistrates.
"We will be providing a full report to Judge Mettyear as soon as possible."
