A TEENAGE boy was given a three-year Asbo yesterday after a court heard he had been involved in 27 recorded incidents of bad behaviour.

Benjamin Binnie, 14, has been known to Darlington Borough Council since the age of 12 and the incidents of anti-social behaviour go back to October 2009.

John Constable, applying for the Anti-Social Behaviour Order on behalf of the authority at Darlington Magistrates' Court yesterday, said: "He was given an Acceptable Behaviour Contract, which he quickly breached.

"He has been involved in knocking on peoples' windows and doors before running off, along with sitting on car bonnets and on one occasion he ran in front of a bus so his friends could jump on the back for a lift.

"He has also been caught throwing eggs and mud balls at peoples' property.

"He was involved in a number of incidents in the town centre, where he was heard to be shouting 'f***ing pigs' at police officers and being generally abusive."

Binnie is banned from entering Darlington Town Centre unless accompanied by an adult and banned from swearing and being abusive in public.

He must not knock on the doors or windows of his neighbours with the intention of being a nuisance or interfere with other peoples' property.

Binnie, who lives in Bensham Road, Darlington, was also banned from throwing missiles, such as eggs or mud balls.

His solicitor, Ian Bradshaw, accepted the five conditions, but said one that required him to comply with any lawful request from a member of the police force was setting him up to fail.

"He is 14 and he is diagnosed with ADHD. To expect him to have a sensible grasp of what is a reasonable lawful request puts too much of a burden on him, " said Mr Bradshaw.

"The punishment for breach of an Asbo is up to five years in prison.

"If he does resist or obstruct an officer, then he will be arrested anyway, but the offence would not attract a sentence that was longer then six months."

Mr Bradshaw said this was unfair on Binnie and that Asbos should not be used to give a greater punishment for something that would attract a lesser sentence under criminal law.

Darlington Borough Council applied for a five-year order, but magistrates said they were minded to make it for three years and applied all six conditions.

There were no reporting restrictions on the case.