POLICE were today searching for a persistent and aggressive beggar - to tell him he has been banned from York city centre for five years.

York magistrates made an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO), which includes the city centre ban, after hearing how council and police officers had been inundated with complaints about the behaviour of heroin addict and schizophrenic Jeffrey John Ward in and near the city centre.

The order also bans Ward from begging anywhere inside the outer ring road for five years.

Artist Gillian Dawson told the court how the 28-year-old heroin addict made her life a misery after he started begging regularly outside the city centre home, where she has lived for 27 years.

"It was like a dripping tap, every few minutes: 'Can you spare me some change, can you spare me some change,' going up to people in the street. Every time I went out he asked me. I tried to befriend him. That didn't have any effect. It just got worse and worse."

Eventually, Ward swore and gestured at her regularly, and on one occasion threatened to put her windows through, said Miss Dawson.

Acting Sergeant Richard Ball said he had seen Ward walk up fast to people and aggressively beg money near Bishopthorpe Road Post Office, and on one occasion, the policeman had to intervene to protect elderly people when he was off-duty taking his child to school.

PC David White said many Micklegate area residents were too scared of Ward to give evidence against him.

Gary Garland, City of York Council estates manager, said he had heard Ward swearing at people who refused to give him money.

Ward, of Ordnance Lane, Fulford, did not attend court for the hearing and magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest. They heard that he denied being aggressive or threatening anyone, and that he had numerous previous convictions for begging, including 26 in 14 months, and had three times breached a temporary ban on begging imposed in March.

As police set out to arrest him and serve the order on him, Miss Dawson said: "I am very relieved. I just hope he can find the help he so obviously needs."

She welcomed the use of the ASBO because it made it easier for police to deal with beggars.

Ward now faces a prison sentence of up to five years if he comes within the city walls, unless a drug worker is accompanying him to a drug treatment or needle exchange centre. He has already served 84 days in jail for breaching an earlier order.

Last month, magistrates banned Acomb teenager Daniel Holmes from coming within the York outer ring road for two years because of his antisocial behaviour.

Updated: 10:51 Friday, June 11, 2004