A MAN with a history of rural crime and described as a "parasite" by a Ribble Valley police inspector, has been hit with a ground-breaking order to curb his criminal activities.

Michael William Yale has been made subject to an anti-social behaviour order which, among other measures, bans him from the Ribble Valley and Craven District of North Yorkshire between 6pm and 8am.

And Inspector Bob Ford said he was delighted that Blackburn magistrates had imposed the order for five years, giving the police a powerful mandate to end his rural rampage which centred on the theft of diesel.

He said: "Travelling criminals are a particular problem in rural areas and I regard Michael Yale as a parasite who takes advantage of the problems of security for isolated properties.

"This order is a new measure which we will use to the full in the ongoing battle against rural crime. The message to travelling criminals is that we will take robust action to curtail their activities."

Inspector Ford told the court that Yale, 41, of Much House Cottages, Hapton, had an extensive record and had appeared in courts throughout the North of England over the years.

"He and his associates constantly visit the Ribble Valley and Craven District of North Yorkshire during the night to commit crime. He has no legitimate purpose for his visits to these areas."

Inspector Ford revealed that Yale had been stopped on numerous occasions and been found to have with him empty fuel containers or pumps and hoses.

He said the criminals would target haulage contractors or coach operators. They would use bolt croppers to remove locks from diesel tanks and then attach electric pumps to the vehicle batteries to transfer the fuel to containers in the back of vans.

He said that police spot checks had shown Yale to have more than 70 different vehicles but none of them had ever been registered to him.

"One of the main problems is that diesel, once it has been stolen, cannot be identified as stolen property.

"Yale and his associates have been stopped many times with some of this equipment in their vehicle. If they are seen in the area at night we know that the next day reports of burglaries will come in.

"As far as we know he doesn't have any legitimate business in either the Ribble Valley or the Craven District."

Dylan Bradshaw, defending, said his client did not contest the making of the order although he did not accept all that was said.

"I am anxious to portray a different side to the individual before you. He is a diesel mechanic, works as a fitter and has a farm where he has horses and items of plant.

"He has been described as a menace but that is not the only side of him and he has legitimate business interests.

"What he has to concede is that in the past he has found it hard to tread the straight and narrow but he now takes the view that he is becoming a bit long in the tooth to spend time in prison."

Yale had pleaded guilty to handling a stolen JCB hammer drill, a box of tools and five jerry cans belonging to Collinsons Coaches of Ribchester. Charges of burglary and theft were withdrawn.

He was sentenced to 60 days in prison which will run concurrent to the six-month sentence he is already serving for going equipped for theft and handling stolen property.

The anti-social behaviour order prohibits Yale from causing alarm harassment or distress to any person, entering any part of the Ribble Valley or Craven District between 6pm and 8am other than at his home address being in possession of any portable pump, machine or other device, including hoses and pipes for transferring liquid other than at his home address

It prohibits being in possession of more than two containers of over five litres capacity other than at his home address, being in possession of bolt cutters or any similar device, entering any yard compound or other land or buildings including fuel storage areas, filling stations, haulage or coach yard without express permission.