A TEENAGE boy who has terrorised shop staff and residents in his hometown for years has been made subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).

The 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has multiple convictions for criminal damage, theft and violence, including three convictions for battery, and has spent time in custody as part of a detention training order.

At Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court yesterday, prosecutor Laura Lax read out statements from supermarket managers in Spennymoor who outlined numerous incidents of the youth and his friends abusing staff and customers and stealing stock.

Referring to one victim’s statement, Miss Lax said: “There have been occasions when staff haven’t reported matters to the police for fear it would make their behaviour worse. This shows how much of an impact it was having on shop staff if they felt they would be better off not reporting it.”

CBOs were introduced in 2014 to replace Anti-social Behaviour Orders, and ban the offenders from specific acts and places. The aim is to provide police and communities with a way to deal with persistently anti-social individuals who commit crimes.

Youths who are the subject of a CBO hearing do not have automatic anonymity, as is usually the case in youth courts. Identifying offenders can provide local people with the information needed to identify those who breach orders. It can also reassure the public that action has been taken and acts as a deterrent against future offending.

However, despite being challenged by The Northern Echo, magistrates imposed reporting restrictions, banning the publication of the teenager’s name, address and school.

Highlighting his young age and his co-operation with the Youth Offending Service (YOS), the order stated: “We have considered the interest of the public in knowing the identity of those who have committed crimes but the offences before the court are not particularly seriously or detestable crimes and we place less weight on that factor than on [the youth’s] own welfare.”

The CBO, which was accepted by the YOS and the youth’s solicitor Laurence Pettison, will last for 12 months and prohibits the teenager from: entering shops in parts of Spennymoor, including the town centre; remaining in any shop after being asked to leave; associating with certain known acquaintances; and acting in a threatening or abusive way in a public place.

The youth also received a nine-month youth rehabilitation order after pleading guilty to two shoplifting offences, theft of diesel and resisting a police officer.

Inspector Warren Edwards, of Spennymoor Neighbourhood Police Team, said: “The actions of this youth have affected the wider community and hopefully this will help him to think about the consequences of his actions.”