A VAGRANT with a chronic alcohol problem has been banned from entering Middlesbrough town centre after a long campaign of causing misery.

Already the subject of an interim anti-social behaviour order (Asbo), John Worton spent the past three weeks in custody after breaching its conditions by refusing to leave the town's police station and becoming abusive with officers.

Yesterday, the 54-year-old homeless man was issued with a two-year anti-social banning order which now bars him from the town centre.

He is also barred from being abusive and threatening to members of the public, behaving in a way that could cause alarm or distress, enticing others to behave in an intimidating or distressing way, and he must not to steal or damage property anywhere in England or Wales.

Teesside Magistrates' Court heard Worton had been involved in numerous anti-social incidents in the town centre.

Alan Rutter, prosecuting, said Worton had been given the interim order on June 21, and three days later he was arrested for breaching its conditions.

He said: "He was in Middlesbrough police station at 2.20am. He was asked to leave but became abusive so he was asked to behave.

"He continued to be abusive and was arrested and taken into custody."

Martyn Beer, mitigating, said: "He has a major problem organising his life as he has a chronic alcohol problem."

Julia Hatton, representing Cleveland Police, outlined the evidence needed to impose Worton's full anti-social behaviour order.

She said: "He has been involved in 29 incidents over a short period of time. Some have resulted in criminal convictions, some are just where he has been a nuisance.

"He has regularly been cleared from shopping centres and he has a habit of going into restaurants, sitting down and eating people's leftover food.

"We need to protect the people of Middlesbrough who are going about their legitimate business."

Issuing the Asbo, bench chairman Ken Smith said: "This order is to protect the public. We do accept you have a chaotic lifestyle and you are homeless."

Worton is now banned from entering the town centre - the area is bounded by the A66 trunk road, Marton Road, Borough Road and Hartington Road.

He was also ordered to carry out a 12-month supervision order for breaching his interim Asbo and two conditional discharges.