A TEENAGER who terrorised his neighbours in Cwmcarn became the subject of the first Anti-Social Behaviour Order in Caerphilly county borough.

The order was imposed on Paul Richards (above), aged 15, of George Street, Cwmcarn, by Blackwood magistrates last week.

The court heard testimonies from neighbours, who kept diaries issued by Caerphilly County Borough Council to record anti-social incidents.

One neighbour said she could not eat or sleep through the fear Richards engendered.

The court heard that Richards swore at, verbally abused and threatened his neighbours.

Another said: "I have had to take time off work because it makes me physically sick to step outside and face the abusive behaviour you are taking."

But the teenager's father, also called Paul, claimed after the hearing that his son was being "victimised".

Mr Richards said: "My son is no angel but he is not the worst person in the street - far from it.

"We have had trouble on George Street with motorbikes, and bottles being smashed, but the people doing it are not from here.

They are just using the street as a way of going up the mountain on their bikes."

He claimed his son merely defended himself, and added:

"My son has gone through a bit of a bad patch and got into smoking drugs, but he has learned his lesson.

"As far as I am concerned, the people who are complaining are just picking on kids for no reason.

"The kids are playing football outside, but as long as they are not using bad language I don't mind.

"I'm just waiting for the police to come up and say: 'Bump - you're off to the young offenders,' to my son.

"All it needs now is for somebody to say my son swore at them and that will be it."

After an appeal, the magistrates lifted reporting restrictions on Richards to allow local people to be made aware of the conditions he was made subject to.

Chairman of magistrates Eric Hardacre said Richards must not:

l Commit any action in the Caerphilly county borough area likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to anyone not in the same household.

l Use abusive language in public.

l Assault any person.

l Cause damage or threaten to damage anyone else's property.

l Swear at or threaten a person in the Caerphilly county borough area.

In imposing the ASBO, Mr Hardacre said: "We believe you behaved in an anti-social manner, and an order is necessary for the protection of persons in the locality from further anti-social behaviour from you."

He warned Richards if he broke the conditions, he would be hauled back before the court and possibly be locked up.

Sergeant Robert Davies, the crime and disorder reduction sergeant for C Division of Gwent Police, said after the case: "We will take positive action to restrict the actions of individuals to protect the community where there is a persistency of offending.

"That is what ASBOs are for - to give respite to people affected in the community.

"This is a statement of intent to people continuing to carry out this type of behaviour."