A HYNDBURN thief has become the first crook in East Lancashire to be given a second Anti-Social Behaviour Order.

Michael Aspin, of South Shore Street, Church, was also jailed for eight months after a hearing at Hyndburn Magistrates' Court where he was charged with eight counts of theft.

The court heard that Aspin, 28, had been a one-man crimewave and already had 121 previous convictions.

Police have welcomed his sentence.

Sergeant Mark Porter, of Accrington Police, said: "Having liaised with the Chamber of Trade for the last two years, I know it is something its members will be very pleased about. As far as I am aware, he is the only person in East Lancashire to have two ASBOs, and what pleased me was that the sentence was proportionate."

"Previously, we had tried to give him a chance and arrange alternatives such as drugs courses. But it became apparent that he wasn't responding."

"Even we, knowing his record, were surprised by the prolific nature of his shoplifting when his first ASBO ran out. We expected him to continue but even by his own standards he was prolific."

Aspin's first ASBO ran out in March after three years. He was given a conditional discharge for theft in May by Hyndburn magistrates, but was already on bail for three offences of shoplifting which were adjourned while he was assessed for a drug treatment and testing order.

In July, he pleaded guilty to stealing three T-shirts from Marks and Spencer in Accrington, where CCTV captured him breaking bail conditions forbidding him from entering any self-service store in Hyndburn.

Sergeant Porter said: "The new ASBO begins when Aspin leaves prison. Under its terms he is forbidden from entering town centre retail outlets, and any shop in Hyndburn that has banned him, which is pretty much all of them."