Named and shamed

Liam Smith, of Angola Road, Broadwater, was handed a temporary anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) for terrorising residents in his road and nearby Sackville Way and Ruskin Road in a spate of 21 offences since October last year.

The 14-year-old tearaway also targeted staff and customers at Waitrose supermarket in High Street, Worthing, and shoppers at the Guildbourne Centre, Chichester Magistrates' Court heard on Monday.

Worthing Council took action after Smith pushed a shopping trolley into a security guard at Waitrose then spat and swore at him when he was asked to leave the store on October 20 last year.

He was part of a seven-boy gang who pinned a man to the floor and robbed him in Dominion Road, Worthing, on November 7 last year, the council alleges.

He hit a boy in the face and stole his chocolate bar after demanding money in Savckville Way on December 14 last year and punched and kicked another boy outside St Andrews School, Worthing, the following day.

And on at least two occasions before January 10 this year he locked an elderly woman from Angola Road in her garage, the hearing was told.

Inspector Martin Pattenden was in court to support the order.

He said afterwards: "This is a good example of agencies in Worthing working together to protect the public and make them feel safer. It shows our determination to tackle anti social behaviour and what we have the power to do if people report incidents to us."

Georgina Holland, the council's anti-social behaviour coordinator, also backed the decision.

"This is a positive step in achieving our aim to reduce anti-social behaviour in Worthing. This is an excellent example of a local community empowering themselves to take a stand against this type of behaviour," she said.

Smith is banned from a range of anti-social acts including spitting and swearing at others and using threats or violence against them. He will appear at Worthing

Magistrates' Court on October 5, when magistrates will consider a full ASBO application.

The court at Chichester imposed no restrictions on the Herald and allowed the paper to name the young tearaway, in keeping with government guidelines.

Last week, Worthing magistrates protected the identity of two boys aged 13 and 14 who were given six-month interim ASBOs for a similar string of offences.