A PURBECK teenager who was made the subject of a second Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) last year could face being publicly named.

Purbeck District Council is going to court next week seeking permission to publicise the name of the girl and exclude her from Swanage town centre.

The teenager, now aged 17, was aged 15 when she received her second ASBO at Wareham magistrates court in July 2003.

The court heard a long catalogue of incidents involving the girl over the previous three years in which she had repeatedly sworn at, intimidated and harassed local residents and shop staff, causing them alarm and distress.

A deputy district judge granted a two-year order after an application by Purbeck District Council and Dorset police.

However, the judge at that time decided that the name of the 15-year-old girl should not be published.

He also decided against imposing an exclusion zone taking in the centre of Swanage.

Instead, the girl was ordered not to enter or loiter outside specific named premises, as well as directed not to act in an anti-social manner.

Since then the girl has been convicted in a magistrates court for a breach of the order by loitering outside an amusement arcade on Shore Road.

An appeal against that conviction went to the crown court which was told that she did not understand the meaning of the word "loitering" - and the judge accepted that there was a legal dispute over its definition.

Glen Harding, Purbeck council's legal services manager, said: "On the strength of what the crown court judge said we are now applying in the magistrates court for an exclusion zone to be included in this Anti-Social Behaviour Order."

The council will also ask for the ASBO to be in force for a further three years beyond the original two - until summer 2008.

Mr Harding said: "We contend that publicity about individuals who are subject to an antisocial behaviour order within a community is fundamental to the success of this kind of initiative.

"The council is using anti-social behaviour orders to combat instances of bad behaviour from a few individuals that have caused serious problems for local people," he added.

First published: September 7