A SERIAL thief with an "appalling" record of theft and dishonesty could be jailed for five years if he continues to steal.

Heroin addict Daniel Green was given an Anti-Social Behaviour Order at Bolton Crown Court for persistent offending.

Judge Robert Warnock told the 21-year-old, who has a history of breaking into property and vehicles around Bolton, that he would go to prison for a long time if he breached the order.

Under the terms of the ASBO, Green must not:

l Behave in an anti-social manner which causes harassment, alarm, or distress;

l Damage, take or interfere with the property of any person except with their express permission;

l Enter any vehicle unless it is a bus, police vehicle, ambulance or taxi and/or a vehicle, which to his knowledge, is properly insured, taxed and has a current MOT certificate;

l Enter or remain on private property without the express consent of the owner or occupier;

l Be in possession of tools of any description unless they are necessary for bona fide employment.

But the judge withdrew a further condition of banning Green from entering any car parks in Bolton.

Green, of Milthorpe Road, also received a 12-month Drug and Testing Order.

He had pleaded guilty to four separate counts of theft, burglary, attempted burglary and handling stolen goods.

The court heard that Green confronted a female cleaner during a burglary on January 16 at Breightmet Labour Club.

He grappled with the woman after she tried to stop him stealing her handbag that had been left on the bar.

Green ripped the handbag from her grasp, causing her to all to the floor. She was left with bruising to her finger and leg.

Later the same day, Green was spotted trying to break into Tonge Moor Primary School.

An employee, who lived near the school, saw him trying to force open ground floor windows to climb inside the building.

The police were called and Green was arrested.

The court also heard that Green had stolen a stereo from the Salvation Army Hostel on October 19, last year, and handled 40 stolen DVDs in a separate theft on November 10.

Judge Warnock told Green: "You have the most appalling record that is related to drug use.

"You have been in prison for sufficiently long to realise what happens to people in there.

"They are pathetic, bullied and left to their own devices without any future to look forward to."

Green has been in custody for two and half months and been sharing a cell with his older brother, another heroin addict, at Forest Bank in Salford.

Mark Rhind, defending Green, said that his client had started taking heroin at the age of 17 which was the root of all his criminality.