A TEENAGER whose continual harassment and verbal abuse drove people from their homes has breached an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo).

Darlington Youth Court yesterday heard the 16-year-old admit to repeatedly entering the town's Shelly Road, despite the order forbidding him to do so.

Cairan Grogan, prosecuting, said the boy was originally made the subject of the Asbo in January after repeatedly harassing a number of people.

His tirade of verbal abuse and lewd comments caused two people to leave the area and others to be relocated by Darlington Borough Council.

Mr Grogan said the youngster had continued to enter the road.

For breaching his order, magistrates sentenced the boy to a 24-hour attendance centre order to be served in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

Graham Carter, a council enforcement officer, applied to the bench to have the conditions of the Asbo varied following a recent incident of verbal abuse.

Mr Carter said the defendant threw a snowball at a man and shouted at him in Shelly Road, but the victim would not proceed with criminal proceedings in fear of reprisal.

The teenager later went to the man's home in Byron Road and swore at him, Mr Carter told the court.

Stephen Andrews, for the defendant, said his client was reacting to comments made to him.

The wording of the Asbo was revised with conditions forbidding him to enter both Shelly Road and Byron Road, or adjoining properties.

He is also forbidden from throwing anything at any building or person, damaging property and assaulting, harassing, intimidating, threatening or abusing anyone.