A DISTRICT judge has blocked a joint Evening Press and council bid to name a 14-year-old neighbourhood nuisance.

City of York Council was so concerned about the boy's behaviour that it went to court and got an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) imposed on the boy, from the Huntington Road area.

The council and the Evening Press also wanted to reveal his identity, in line with current Home Office advice aimed at fully informing the local community about the troublemaker and the restrictions on him.

But District Judge Kitson, at York Magistrates Court, refused because of the boy's age.

He also argued protecting his identity would give him a better chance of becoming a law-abiding adult. Council officials had taken the boy to court after a series of residents' complaints.

The boy was accused of:

harassing a family and a gay couple so much they had had to move house

taking a penknife to the Youth Offending Team office and a pupil support unit

driving cars

assaulting another youth

snatching a bicycle.

The boy admitted all the allegations except taking the bicycle and agreed that his behaviour justified an ASBO.

The boy's lawyer, Kevin Blount, wanted his client's identification kept secret to protect his welfare.

But the Evening Press argued that naming the boy would enable residents to keep an eye out for him and would help ensure that he did not break the law in future.

The council's barrister, Justin Crossley, said naming the boy would show that the council was taking steps against antisocial people and encourage others to report such behaviour.

He reminded the district judge that the order was made at a civil hearing where the law assumed juveniles would be named unless a court ordered otherwise. But after an hour's retirement, the district judge banned the media from naming the boy.

He said the boy was only 14 and there was more chance of him becoming a law-abiding citizen if he did not have the "stigma of being identified as a criminal".

Under the order, the boy faces a two-year custodial sentence if he harasses anyone, commits criminal damage, carries a knife or offensive weapon in public, or drives, or is a passenger, in a car taken without the owner's consent.

The order also bans him from approaching any of the civilian witnesses who gave evidence as part of the court case or insulting anyone in an area around his home.

Updated: 15:05 Thursday, March 27, 2003