THIS 14-year-old boy has been banned from parts of Bolton where he carried out a four year reign of terror.

Baby-faced Shane Gibbons has brought heartbreak and misery to residents.

He is the first person to be served with an anti social behaviour order under new legislation intended to crackdown on young troublemakers.

His catalogue of crime in the Sharples area has included attacks on residents, robberies of other children on the way to school, breaking into schools and houses, taking a Class A drug and carrying a variety of weapons, including an air rifle, machete and imitation handguns.

Despite a long list of convictions, his identity has always been protected by the law.

But yesterday he was served with Bolton Council's first anti-social behaviour order.

The move is intended to put a stop to his intimidation and violence which has terrified residents, including pensioners and shopkeepers.

He has been banned from entering the Oldhams estate, Sharples Leisure Centre, Barlow Park and nearby old people's accommodation, shops on Mackenzie Street or the local authority's housing office for five years. He has also been placed under a curfew for that period.

After submissions from the council's lawyer and taking into account a letter from Bolton Evening News editorial executives, magistrates ruled that the BEN be allowed to identify the youth, so residents know who he is.

The court was told that Gibbons, of Nevis Grove, Astley Bridge, first became known to the police at the age of 10.

Mr Neil Pilkington, acting on behalf of Bolton Council, which applied for the order with the police, said when he was first arrested in 1999 he appeared unfazed by the process.

The bench, consisting of one man and two women, was then told of many incidents involving the teenager.

These included throwing bottles in the road, driving cars around the Oldhams estate, taking cannabis and cocaine, burglary, assaults, intimidation and carrying hammers, crow bars and other weapons.

Mr Pilkington added: "This is not a young man who gets drunk from time to time and shouts abuse.

"This is learned anti-social behaviour. It has been ground into him over a series of years.

"It is behaviour that needs to be unlearned and despite the best efforts of the local authority very little progress has been made in that respect."

The magistrates agreed that Gibbons, who is currently in custody, should be placed under the order until 2006, just before his 20th birthday.

The teenager must also be indoors between 10pm and 7am.

Magistrates warned him he must not drink alcohol or take drugs, carry a weapon, use threatening, racist, abusive or foul language, damage property, or hang around in a group in a way which could intimidate people.

If he breaks any part of the order he will be brought back into court and could face up to five years in custody.

Miss Kimberley Kirton, defending, said the schoolboy suffered from attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, illnesses he was taking medication for.

She added: "This explains some of his behaviour. It means he acts without thinking about the consequences.

"The reality of this is he doesn't realise the distress it causes to others."

Miss Kirton also argued that the order of five years was "excessive and draconian" for someone aged 14.

She said it would not allow him to pursue outside interests and would stop him developing into an adult.

Mr Norman Morlidge, the chairman of the bench, making the order, said: "The way this young man has behaved over the last few years has caused a great deal of misery and suffering to neighbours and to the public at large.

"Because of this, we believe the making of the order is necessary and hope that the message sent from here today will be a warning to other youths causing similar problems in their locality."

After the case, the boy's mother, Patricia, said she did not want to comment.

In a joint statement, Cllr Frank White, executive member for community safety, and the head of Bolton police, Chief Supt Mel Pelham, said: "This lout terrified local people.

"Some were even afraid to meet him in the street for fear of what he might do.

"We have now broken that spell of terror and are in a strong position to monitor and enforce future bad behaviour."

Cllr White and Chief Supt Pelham also thanked the witnesses who came forward to give evidence. 'We have now broken that spell of terror...'