A SERIAL conman who tried to target schoolchildren was given a five-year anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) yesterday.

Lee James Flaherty, of Grange Road, Darlington, made himself a fake ID and advertisements for a bogus youth service called Arelate.

Durham County Council issued a warning he “may pose a risk to children and young people” after his leaflets promised to help children with bullying, disabilities and mental health problems.

John Constable, prosecuting at Bishop Auckland Magistrates’ Court, said the 22- year-old moved his “theatre of operations” after an interim Asbo was put in place for the Darlington area in December.

The court was told about a string of incidents since September.

In October, he fooled two Darlington landlords into believing he was called Lee Smith and from the council’s weights and measures department to win their trust and steal cash.

PC Matt Stasiak who arrested him on several occasions for wasting police time and other offences gave evidence yesterday.

He said: “He portrays himself to people around him, to his peers and the average person in the street as someone of importance who can be trusted, such as a social worker or counsellor.

“People will be taken in by him and sometimes give him information that they should not.”

Mr Constable said events became more “sinister” in January when Flaherty approached schools and distributed leaflets as “Lee Omara” – a qualified youth worker.

He offered fake sports and counselling services to Greenfield Comprehensive School in Newton Aycliffe and Shildon’s Sunnydale Community College.

It came to the attention of police after Flaherty handed an Arelate business card to a Newton Aycliffe Post Office worker.

Mr Constable said: “He was masquerading as someone else, adopting a new name or persona to gain access to vulnerable people, in this case access to young schoolchildren, and this takes it to a completely new dimension.”

“This causes the local authority some concern, as we don’t know where that is leading.”

Warran Grier, mitigating, said there were problems with Flaherty’s “mental capacity”

which he was unable to disclose.

He added: “All I can say is we are dealing with a young man who is 22 years of age and the period which the council is asking for is lengthy.”

Flaherty’s court order

THE Asbo prohibits Lee James Flaherty from:

● Engaging in conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to anyone;
● Entering any premises and/or land with a licence for the sale of alcohol;
● Wearing, displaying or having radio ear pieces and link radios;
● Attempting to impersonate security staff, council employees or using any false identification;
● Making a report to police which may result in wasting police time;
● Inciting or encouraging others to commit any act prohibited by the order in County Durham and Darlington.