Asbo Czar vows to target 50 trouble-makers in clean-up.

Byline: DEBORAH JAMES

MERSEYSIDE'S new anti-social behaviour ``Czar'' has pledged to get restrictive orders placed on at least 50 more convicted criminals by the end of this year.

In his first interview since he began his role, Ian Criddle told the Daily Post how he will seek out persistent thieves, beggars, and those who repeatedly harass and threaten others, in a bid to clean up Merseyside's streets.

The 35-year-old from Crosby is one of only thirteen anti social behaviour order (Asbo) prosecutors employed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) across the whole of the UK.

The posts were created in the country's worst affected areas including London, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Newcastle in April, after new legislation gave courts powers to attach an Asbo to a normal criminal sentence.

Last night Mr Criddle said he has already secured 15 of the new criminal Asbos (also known as Crasbos) in Merseyside courts, and has another 20 in the pipeline.

He told the Daily Post: ``At a very conservative estimate we will have at least 50 of these secured by the end of this year, but it is difficult to predict, because it depends when people are convicted. ''

Mr Criddle believes Asbos are being used in the right way to tackle pockets of anti-social behaviour .

One of the first he secured was against a 16-year-old from Birkenhead, who was banned from several streets in Beechwood and Noctorum, after magistrates heard how he repeatedly harassed people and used abusive language.

Other examples include a persistent female beggar who is now banned from asking anyone for money, after a court heard she had harassed shoppers on South Road in Waterloo.

Last week magistrates in North Sefton agreed with Mr Criddle's request to slap one of the country's most wide-ranging Crasbos ever on a violent drunk from Southport who is now banned from every pub, club and restaurant in Merseyside.

Mr Criddle said: ``Merseyside is a very diverse area, the problems you have in Liverpool city centre are very different from those in Sefton, Wirral, or St Helens, and so you have to treat each case independently.

``I believe ASBOs are working, the evidence we have is that people are not re-offending, that is the ideal measure of their success.

``Eventually we should have a situation where most of the people who are behaving anti-socially will be subject to orders, and that will serve as a deterrent to others.

``It should raise the bar on what kind of behaviour people will tolerate. It will make Merseyside a safer, nicer place to live in. ''

Mr Criddle, a former Liverpool magistrate's court clerk, has specialised in young offenders at the CPS in Heron House, Bootle, for the last four years.

CAPTION(S):

Ian Criddle