AN 18-year-old trouble-maker has been banned from a large part of Darwen town centre in a bid to protect local people.

Lee Taylor, nicknamed the Pied Piper of Darwen because of his influence on other youths, is believed to be one of the first people in the country to face a second application for an Anti Social Behaviour Order. He was made subject to an order banning him from Ellenshaw Estate when he was 15.

That order has now lapsed but magistrates have now banned him from another part of town following an application by police. He has been made subject to an interim ASBO which includes 11 restrictions, pending a full hearing in August.

The order prevents him causing harassment, alarm or distress, inciting any other person to engage in anti-social behaviour, harming, assaulting, abusing, threatening or intimidating any person, damaging or stealing property or associating in a group of more than four people in an area of Darwen bounded by Vale Street, Tockholes Road, Blackburn Road/Duckworth Street, Sunnyhurst Lane and Earnsdale Road.

He must also not be drunk or under influence of drugs.

Police said Taylor, of Hacking Street, was responsible for a string of offences, including criminal damage, assault, possession of drugs, threatening behaviour, breach of bail conditions and general anti social behaviour since August, 2003.

Specific incidents include ejecting his mother from her house; spitting in the face of a householder who asked him to get off their garden wall; assaulting a 15-year-old girl; stealing a bike from a 10-year-old boy; and assaulting a woman as she carried her child.

Ian Huggan, representing Taylor, opposed the imposition of an interim order. He rejected the police assertion that it was a matter or urgency and said it should wait until the full hearing on August 26 and 27.

Imposing the interim order, the magistrates' chairman said it was necessary to protect the public from Taylor.