A JUDGE has agreed to a new approach to prevent a persistent drunk causing more nuisance for emergency services.

John Newman, 36, became one of the first people in the North-East to be made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order in June last year, for repeated cases of drunken disorder in Durham city centre.

He would ring for an ambulance while drunk, and then cause disturbances in Durham's Dryburn, now the University Hospital of North Durham.

The four-year order was made in June last year but Newman was jailed in January for 12 months after his fourth breach of the order.

Durham Crown Court was told that within a short period of his recent release, Newman breached the order a further three times by appearing drunk in the city centre, on one occasion calling out an ambulance for no good reason.

He appeared before the crown court for sentence again yesterday, when his barrister, Sarah Holmes, urged Judge William Crawford to order a psychological assessment of Newman.

"It's clear he has a deeply entrenched alcohol problem which has led to him serving 77 terms of imprisonment."

Newman, formerly of New Brancepeth, admitted the latest breaches of his asbo.

Judge Crawford remanded him in custody and agreed to order a forensic psychological assessment.