A SELF-STYLED "slavvery c***" who has terrorised shoppers and shop workers in Middlesbrough's Linthorpe Village has been banned from the area.

Garron Mulraney has repeatedly been abusive to staff and stolen from shops including Boots, Heron and Co-Op and along with his partner Leoni Prince has aggressively begged and repeatedly caused a nuisance.

Last month Middlesbrough Council secured an injunction against Prince, 33, of Crescent Road, banning her from the area for 18 months and from begging or using abusive language.

Now her partner Mulraney, 48, also of Crescent Road, has been hit with a 12-month order with the same terms at Teesside Magistrates Court.

Middlesbrough Council's Neighbourhood Safety Team has been working with the businesses and has used CCTV and information from Street Wardens to build the case against Mulraney.

Previously Mulraney had been served with an Acceptable Behaviour Contract and reacted by phoning a Council Neighbourhood Safety Officer in a rage saying he "wouldn't dare be a beggar" because "my dad would kick my a***."

Mulraney said his partner begs "asking for 5p or 10p towards a loaf of bread, and when people tell her to f*** off, I tell them to f*** off, I'm a slavvery c***" - slavver being Middlesbrough slang for being "chewy" or "difficult".

The evidence against him included that on one occasion when confronted by a member of staff in Heron he shouted back "I'll just f***ing stab you!" which caused huge anxiety with the workforce who had been told he carries a used needle.

Other evidence told that he had been dealt with by staff at Co-Op for shoplifting between 40 and 50 times in the last four years and usually responds with abuse including shouting "f*** off you fat t***".

Staff have reported that dealing with the pair is "draining" and diverts them from their work.

Mulraney and Prince have also been a repeated nuisance at Tesco on Parliament Road.

A staff member gave evidence saying that Mulraney usually causes a scene to divert staff so that Prince can steal - then when the pair are confronted they give the goods back, with Mulraney often saying "here's your f***ing stuff".

On one occasion he added: "You should just let us do it, we need to do this, it's part of our living". When confronted and asked why he doesn't get a job and stop taking drugs he replied saying he has a job which provides £30-a-day which he spends on "a ten pound bag of smack and a bag of pure".

On another occasion while accompanied by Mulraney, Prince was soliciting outside Tesco and lifted her dress showing her underwear - when asked to stop this Mulraney replied: "Just leave her, she's mint."

Following the serving of the injunction, Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: "This pair have been an absolute nuisance to people in Linthorpe village and on Parliament Road and are sick of it.

"These two no doubt have big problems and need help but the good people who just want to go shopping or get on with their work have to come first.

"I want to thank the businesses who have given evidence and our Neighbourhood Safety team who have secured this order. We won't stop going for these orders and using everything we've got to disrupt troublemakers."