The Port Talbot Guardian has won a legal battle to identify a teenager who brought months of misery to residents.

He had previously been handed an anti-social behaviour order banning him from the town centre, which he breached.

The 16-year-old appeared at Port Talbot Youth Court, charged with breaches of the ASBO and vehicle offences.

At youth courts, juveniles are granted automatic anonymity, which prevents them being identified.

But after representations were made by Guardian reporter Gavin O’Connor, magistrates agreed to lift the reporting ban “in the public interest”.

Magistrates’ chairman Godfrey Pullen agreed with the paper’s request and said: “We have listened to representations from the newspaper and from the defence, and we feel it’s in the public interest to lift anonymity in this case.

“We have considered his welfare and are allowing the application by the press representative.”

They implemented S49 of the Children and Young Person’s Act 1933, which allows them to lift the automatic right to anonymity.

The youngster had already appeared in the Guardian on January 30 last year, when he was made the subject of the ASBO.

His picture was printed, as well as his offences after police and the local authority challenged the court to release his details.

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