COUNCIL and health bosses have launched a ground-breaking legal attempt to ban a man entering any medical facilities in an East Lancashire borough.

Legal representatives from Hyndburn Council want to see Razwan Sarwar, of Willows Lane, Accrington, banned from any 'primary care' facility in the borough -- including chemists, doctors' surgeries and health care centres. They have applied to Hyndburn Magistrates for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order to be placed on the 24-year-old, who police say has a history of intimidating doctors, nurses, pharmacists and the general public.

If successful, police said the ASBO will be the first in the country to ban someone from entering medical facilities.

Council solicitor Gordon McMillen told a court the order would force Sarwar to adhere to an agreement drawn up by the East Lancashire Health Authority dictating where he can seek medical attention.

He will not be allowed to go to any primary care source but instead will have to attend hospital.

In a special temporary courtroom yesterday, police inspector Dale Allen outlined why the police had approached the council to apply for the order.

Inspector Allen gave the court several examples of cases involving Sarwar when police had been summoned to health centre and doctors' surgeries after calls from staff who said they were intimidated by him.

He said the situation was now that people who were expecting a visit from Sarwar were requesting a police presence before he even arrived.

East Lancashire Health Authority are also supporting the application.

Two representatives from the East Lancashire Health Authority, Helen Gallagher and Dr John Haworth, gave evidence to support the application. Duncan Nightingale, representing Sarwar, who was not present yesterday in court, reminded magistrates they had to decide first whether or not to grant the ASBO before deciding the terms of it.

Magistrates adjourned the hearing yesterday lunchtime to read medical reports before hearing Mr Nightingale's submissions today.

If the ASBO is granted, it would Hyndburn's sixth. Like ones before it, Mr McMillen wants a clause to be built in banning Sarwar from entering any building he has been barred from, or will be barred from in the future by the owner.

Any ban would run for at least two years.

Breach of an ASBO carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.

Under the Crime and Disorder Act councils were given the power to apply for the ASBOs, backed by the police.