A court order challenged by the Ipswich Evening Star has allowed identification of a teenager who punched a middle-aged man in the street.

The court victory for the Star is one of a series around the country – but persuading the courts is getting no easier, according to the paper’s editor Nigel Pickover.

The 17-year-old in this instance was locked up for breaching an anti-social behaviour order when he carried out the unprovoked attack. The Star named and shamed him after magistrates agreed his anonymity should be lifted.

But Nigel said afterwards: “We teach the magistrates about the law rather than them acting it out.

“And we have to fight all the way to get our results.

“That’s always the case and it’s very trying to fight for those rights.”

And away from ASBOs, he said the newspaper often had to deal with Section 39 anonymity orders on children where the press representatives ended up informing the magistrates of the rules.

In other cases his staff knew more about the law than the bench did.

He said: “We are quite often cast as the enemy.

“We run a strong anti-drink-driving campaign here at Christmas and we have to put up with instances where people who have been convicted are eased out of back entrances so we can’t see them.

“But we are quite happy to pursue them and will continue to do so.”