COURTS in the North-East face being bogged down by lengthy legal proceedings when controversial European human rights laws are introduced.

Leading law experts are warning of a spate of challenges by lawyers to prosecutions and convictions when the European Human Rights Act is incorporated into British law, and fear the region's magistrates' courts will face lengthy delays.

Yesterday, it emerged that paedophile Peter Lander-Jones, of Manchester, is using the new laws to appeal against an order banning him from playgrounds and swimming baths.

If successful, his appeal is expected to open the floodgates to a number of others to overturn orders restraining their movements.

The Act has been cited in a number of high-profile cases, including that of renegade spy David Shayler, from Middlesbrough, who faces two charges of breaking the Official Secrets Act.

The former intelligence officer intends mounting a public interest defence under the European laws.

And last week, magistrates in Chester-le-Street took a full day deciding whether to impose an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) on a nuisance glue-sniffer, when his solicitor made objections based on the forthcoming Act.

Senior law lecturer Alan Davenport said the new law could see some offenders escaping punishment.

"The law will eventually formulate to comply with the Act, but in the meantime some people who should be in prison may well be out," he said.

"Can you imagine the publicity if one of those people should reoffend?

"It's going to be a situation where there will be a rash of cases and some very controversial decisions."

Mr Davenport, who lectures at the University of Northumbria, said it was possible that flagship Government initiatives, such as ASBOs, could fail because they potentially threaten offenders' human rights.

The orders, introduced by Home Secretary Jack Straw, allow persistent thugs who terrorise communities to be jailed if they continue their nuisance behaviour.

Tim Spain, a Newcastle barrister, said: "I think we will get a number of courts feeling very intimidated by lawyers standing up and arguing the human rights point."

But Durham Police solicitor Chris Southey hopes "common sense will prevail". He said yesterday: "I don't think it will tie up the legal system, but it will bring a lot of challenges.

"However, if you look at Scotland, where they have been working under human rights laws, there have been hundreds of challenges, but very few have been successful."

A Home Office spokeswoman said £4.5m had been spent preparing the courts for the Act's introduction.

"We don't anticipate any chaos at all. This is something the legal profession is very familiar with, as is the Government, so we don't expect any major changes.