TRADERS were today celebrating after a man with 105 convictions for theft and shoplifting was banned from their town centre for three years.

Michael Aspin, 25, was warned that he would be jailed if he set foot in Accrington, where his catalogue of offences had occurred.

Aspin is only the third person in Hyndburn to be issued with an Anti Social Behaviour Order(ASBO).

Today, Michael Whewell, president of the Accrington Chamber of Trade, said: "We are all pleased at this result. This man has been nothing short of a nightmare to us all."

Aspin, of Cornwall Place, Church, appeared before Hyndburn magistrates for the ASBO application, which was brought by Hyndburn Council in conjunction with Accrington Police.

The court was told by Hyndburn Council's solicitor Gordon McMillen that Aspin had been convicted for 105 crimes over the past eight years for theft or shoplifting.

He had become notorious in Accrington town centre, regularly stealing from shops and "terrorising" shop staff, the court was told. He is also banned from entering shops which have signed a document saying they do not want him on their premises.

Aspin's solicitor Duncan Nightingale accepted that the order was necessary, but questioned whether banning his client for three years was really essential.

He said: "The offences which my client has been convicted of are relatively minor offences.

"He is now being banned from going into a shopping centre to stop him commiting further offences.

"Yet someone who commits a much more serious crime and is given a custodial sentence can be released on licence but can go wherever he wants."

Issuing the order for three years, Anne Goodbody, chairman of the bench, told Aspin: "If you do not obey this order, we can jail you for six months. It is in your best interests not too."

Aspin, who sat through the hour-long court hearing regularly sticking out his tongue to police, said after the hearing: "I hope they the police are happy now.

"They might as well have put me on a leash. Burglars aren't banned from going out at night.

"How do I get my Giro? How do I sign on? They are just picking on me."

Inspector Dale Allen, of Accrington Police, said after the hearing: "This result is good news for the shoppers, workers and shop owners in Accrington.

"They have regularly been intimidated by this man who is a terrorist in the purist sense of the word because he does terrorise people."

So far, three ASBOs have been issued in Hyndburn, two in Burnley and one in Blackburn.

Mr Allen added: "We will not tolerate his sort of behaviour and we are now in the process of filing orders against him banning him from other shops outside the town centre."