Legal moves are being launched by the Hull Daily Mail to overturn a ban on identifying a youngster who has been made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order.

Magistrates imposed the restriction because the youngster is also facing separate criminal charges at crown court.

Magistrates heard how he terrorised a community building, using foul and abusive language, sniffed glue in public places, spat at passers-by and threatened to burn down people’s houses.

The order bans the 16-year-old from entering certain parts of Bransholme, where he caused the trouble.

Mail editor John Meehan spelled out the reasons it will be applying to overturn the identification ban.

He said: “Firstly, we question the basis of the order – that the offender is under 18 and therefore a child, whose identity should be protected.

“He may be a minor in the eyes of the law but he is certainly old enough to understand right from wrong and the consequences of his offences.

“Secondly, we believe local residents have a right to know the identity of an individual whose appalling behaviour has affected so many people in his local community. He deserves to be “named and shamed”.

“It is also an important principle that penalties imposed by the courts should serve as a deterrent to others. In this case the deterrent factor is reduced because the offender remained anonymous.

“Finally we believe that local communities have a right to know who has been the subject of an anti-social behaviour order. In this case residents of Bransholme should know the identity of the youth so that they can alert the authorities if there is any future breach of the order.”

Such principles have already been upheld in similar cases in other parts of the country.

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