A TEENAGER dubbed a 'pied piper' for allegedly leading other youngsters into crime could be banned from making contact with them in a bid to stop trouble on an estate.

Lee Taylor, 15, would be the first person in Lancashire to have the no-contact clause if magistrates decide to grant an Anti Social Behaviour Order.

Blackburn Magistrates heard from police and a housing association why they wanted the order slapped on the Darwen teenager.

Magistrates were told the ruling would ban him from a large area of Darwen where he was believed to be responsible for dozens of crimes over the last year since moving back to the town.

Police said they wanted him to be stopped from talking to any person under 16 who lives on the Ellenshaw estate because he had "led many children from the area into crime" and had a "hero-like" grip over them.

Police also requested that Taylor -- who returned to the area in April, the same time incidents of nuisance and crime started to rise -- should face a jail sentence if caught in possession or under the influence of drugs and alcohol on any road in Darwen after officers were told that Taylor had been seen with a bag of 100 ecstasy tablets.

His social worker, Julie Edmondson, told the court that the police had known Taylor even before he reached high school age because of incidents with drinking alcohol and becoming involved in petty crime

Detective Inspector Neil Hunter said that Taylor returned to Darwen last year and immediately started making friends with youngsters previously unknown to the police.

He moved out of the area again in August. Crime figures read out in court showed that there were 18 more crimes reported in the three weeks before he left than the three weeks after.

A 26 per cent reduction in nuisance reports was also recorded, from 53 to 39.

He hadsince returned to Darwen and was active over Christmas, Inspector Hunter told the court, with a different group.

Some 49 incidents of car crime, motoring offences, theft and vandalism were read out in court from reports compiled up until December 31.

Although Taylor was not always present, statements from youngsters involved resulted in him becoming "the common denominator between the incidents," said Inspector Hunter.

An incident at Moorland High School last year was highlighted to magistrates.

The end piece of a trumpet stolen from the school had been found at Taylor's house which was being used as a makeshift bong -- an instrument used to inhale cannabis Explaining why the police wanted extra powers to make sure he did not take drugs, Inspector Hunter said: "We received reports that Taylor had been showing off a bag of tablets and bragging he had paid £200 for 100 E tablets.

"He was also showing off a block of cannabis. "

Insp Hunter said Taylor and a gang were also wearing new trainers and had presented a large wad of cash to pay for fish and chips at the same time.

Insp Hunter added: "They were bragging that they had got the money from a robbery." He said that many of the youngsters who started following Taylor were as young as 12 or 13.

Inspector Hunter said that a lot of help had been offered to Taylor, including places at several schools. After starting at one school, police were called to deal with a breach of the peace when Taylor was refused permission to go outside for a cigarette, the court was told.

He said: "Taylor has no respect for authority. When we went to see him about the order, he just left the room.

"We began work on this order after after being contacted by residents and Twin Valley Homes. When on the Ellenshaw Estate, which is not where he lives, he has a negative affect on the youth who hold him up as some sort of hero.

"The peace and tranquillity of the neighbourhood was shattered.

"He is the Pied Piper. He has a Pied Piper effect on local youths with a stranglehold over them.

"Our intelligence supports the fact he is the main instigator of the problems which have occurred while he has been in the area."

Neil Finn, district housing manager for Twin Valley Homes said that the Ellenshaw estate was a quiet, relatively complaint-free estate until Taylor arrived last year.

He said that residents soon became fed up of the nuisance caused by Taylor and his gang and began requesting they move homes, as well as pushing up maintenance costs for the damage that had been caused.

In one flat graffiti read 'Lee Taylor 2001,' said Mr Finn.

Twin Valley had also been told Taylor had been responsible for attacks on the Sure Start community centre on the estate.

"There was graffiti, disturbances and bad behaviour which upset residents," added Mr Finn. Niamh Noone, Lancashire Police's solicitor, said: "This order would place prohibitions on Lee, they are not a criminal penalty.

"It would give Lee the chance to turn over a new leaf and start again away from where the problems have been.

"It would also provide an extra tool for us when policing the local area."

The area of the proposed exclusion zone also extends up from the Ellenshaw estate through the St James' estate and up to Moorland High School.

Magistrates, who will convene at a later date to hear the defence, rejected concerns that the exclusion zone would make it difficult for Taylor to get into Darwen town centre.

Earlier the bench threw out an attempt by Blackburn with Darwen Council to stop Taylor's name being used in the Press, saying they felt the public had a right to know.