A MAN who is addicted to sniffing petrol fumes has been jailed again for breaching an anti-social behaviour order - but will be allowed to walk free almost immediately.

Brian Taylor had already breached the order given to him in January - which bans him from petrol station forecourts in Redcar and Middlesbrough - before he committed his latest offence.

Teesside Crown Court heard how he was at it again at his favourite haunt, the Asda filling station, in South Bank, Middlesbrough, on July 24, when staff spotted him damaging a petrol pump pipe.

Taylor, 36, of Steele Crescent, South Bank, took a knife to the pump and was seen pouring petrol into a container before he was apprehended and reported to the police.

The court was told that despite efforts to rehabilitate him of his bizarre habit - which has also involved drinking petrol on occasions - he showed an "entrenched pattern of behaviour".

Taylor, who admitted breaching his asbo and destroying or damaging £150 worth of property, was given a three-month and four-month jail sentence respectively to run concurrently by the Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Peter Fox.

However, since he had been on remand for 67 days and would ordinarily be allowed parole half way through his prison sentence he will effectively be allowed to go free straightaway.

Taylor has been repeatedly captured on CCTV cameras cutting fuel pumps at the Asda South Bank filling station and has also been seen dancing around the forecourt after getting high on petrol fumes.

He has been aggressive and intimidating to staff and also caused thousands of pounds of worth of damage.

His four-year long asbo bans him entering or going within 15 metres of any petrol station in the Cleveland area.

He is also barred from being in possession of petrol or petrol cans, and entering any Asda stores in England.