TEEN TEARAWAY'S REIGN OF TERROR (From Warrington Guardian)

TEEN TEARAWAY'S REIGN OF TERROR

A TEENAGE girl has been banned from entering areas of Winsford for more than two years after a reign of terror on the Over estate lasting almost five months.

Nicola Jayne Hoare, 15, of Malvern Way, Winsford, committed acts of criminal damage and violence and used threatening and racist language on 50 occasions from July to November last year, Northwich Magistrates' Court heard on Friday.

The 50 incidents of anti-social behaviour included assaulting a police officer and local resident, writing racist graffiti, threatening staff at Woodford Lodge School while carrying a golf club, and causing alarm and distress to residents through excessive noise, including shouting, arguing and playing loud music.

Hoare, a Weaver Vale Housing Trust tenant, was given an anti-social behaviour order that will run until her 18th birthday on May 3, 2007.

Scott Harding, defending, said Hoare did not contest any of the allegations and accepted that an ASBO was necessary.

Chairman of the bench John Argust said Hoare had made life a misery for the people living near her.

Granting the order, he said: "There is no doubt in our minds that an ASBO is appropriate.

"The intention of it is to try to remove the uncertainty and fear the people living around you suffer almost every day of their lives.

"You are making their lives a misery and the only person who can stop that is you. You are the person who is causing the problem and you are the person who is going to sort it out."

Hoare could be given a jail sentence of up to five years if she breaches the order.

Jackie Hodgson, housing manager for Weaver Vale Housing Trust, said Hoare was the fourth youth to be excluded from areas of the Over estate and be made subject of an ASBO.

She said: "I hope that this latest ASBO acts as a deterrent to others who think that it is acceptable to make other people's lives a misery."

Insp Mark Watson, manager of Congleton and Vale Royal's crime and disorder unit, said Hoare's actions had led to them taking the final step to try to bring her in line. He said: "If she does not take this message on board, then she can expect to suffer the consequences."

But as the Guardian went to press last night, Tuesday, solicitors for Cheshire Constabulary blocked the release of Hoare's photograph, saying they would be the only body to be prosecuted if the defendant took legal action.

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said: "We aren't the lead agency involved in the case, so we won't release the photo."

Mrs Hodgson described the decision as 'absolutely ridiculous'.

She said: "People have a right to know who she is.

"How will people know who she is if they don't know what she looks like?"

rbabington@guardiangrp.co.uk

Nicola Hoare is prohibited from:

l Entering certain areas of Winsford, as shown on a map;

l Using any threatening, abusive or insulting words to anyone anywhere in the borough of Vale Royal;

l Behaving in a threatening, violent or abusive way to anyone anywhere in the borough of Vale Royal;

l Damaging, threatening or attempting to damage any property belonging to anyone anywhere in the borough of Vale Royal;

l Being in possession of a golf club anywhere in the borough of Vale Royal;

l Being found at any time in the company of a number of named people;

l Interfering or communicating directly or indirectly with a number of named people.