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16-year-old is banned from top deck of every bus
Last updated at 12:27pm on 08.02.07
Menace: Danny Garton now has three-year Asbo
A teenage thug has been banned from travelling on the top deck of buses after terrorising passengers.
Danny Garton, 16, was the ringleader of a gang that repeatedly vandalised buses and frightened other travellers.
He would also attack passersby and hang around shops with his friends, intimidating traders, security staff and visitors.
Magistrates issued him with a three-year antisocial behaviour order after hearing from a dossier of evidence about his antics. Garton, from Erith, Bexley, and his friends would hang around in playgrounds or town centres such as Bexleyheath Broadway and terrify passers-by with their "disruptive" behaviour. Sometimes they would shout racist abuse.
As well as the bus ban, the Asbo prohibits Garton from threatening or harassing people, using offensive or racist language, carrying spray paint, congregating in a group in a way likely to frighten people, committing or threatening to commit violence and using any object in a way likely to frighten people.
He is also barred from all children's play areas in Bexley and is not allowed to enter specific roads or the Connexions careers guidance office in Erith town centre unless he is accompanied by a parent, or a specific area of the centre unless he is visiting the doctor.
Magistrates also ordered Garton not to associate in public with his friend Brett Harvey, except when studying on a Bexley College campus site or taking part in an organised football match. In addition, he cannot meet another eight of his former associates except when playing in a football match.
Superintendent Martin Bagg, Bexley police's head of operations, said: "He needs firm boundaries and the Asbo prohibitions will ensure that if he steps over these police can act to protect local people.
"This is part of our action plan to break up large groups of individuals who are causing the majority of disorder and fuelling gang-related activities."
Katie Perrior, Bexley's cabinet member for community affairs, said: "Tackling antisocialbehaviour is one of our key priorities.
"This Asbo shows the close co-operation between the council and police to deal effectively with prolific offenders and that we won't put up with their behaviour.
"This runs alongside our support for the use of dispersal powers to tackle these types of problems, the use of highvisibility jackets by many of our local stakeholders and the introduction of the Street Pastor scheme, which helps bring extra resources into the town centre at key times."
Reader views (19)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
The root of this boys problem is that he is a bad apple. If he wants to make other peoples lives a misery for his own enjoyment then he deserves everything he gets... KARMA.
- Iain, Canary Wharf
Why not make him clean the buses of Graffiti and litter that he and his mates drop on the floor?
Is it too much to "make" them spend late evenings in the local bus garage cleaning up their mess?
Or will we have some silly "Liberal middle class do gooder "saying how cruel this would be!
- Carl, Lewisham
It's only a matter of time before Jamie Oliver gives him a pub to run.
- Keith, Farringdon
Has anyone ever thought of getting to the root of this boy's problems rather then just excluding him and making matters worse?
- Lisa, Surbiton, Surrey
Maybe I have missed something pretty important but the article omits to mention where his parents are, and why shouldn't they be responsible for him? Surely they should be until he turns 18? Otherwise, yes, ban him from buses, and make him pay for the train like every other commuter. Then he might realise that his vandalism only creates problems for the people who have no choice but to pay for their fares.
- Angela Walker, Barnet, England
And why is he still allowed to play organised football games? Ban him from everything he likes and enjoys, and if that doesn't work, put him in the army.
- Michelle, London
He'll be driving a J reg hot hatch soon, so we'll all have the pleasure of meeting him on the roads.
- Rob, Bham UK
Can we all please remember these points next time we have a general election? We whinge but do nothing about it! Stop abrogating responsibility to weak politicians. Justice is meant to be a reflection of community need. Reclaim the streets people of England!
- Philip, London, England
I can't help but wonder how exactly they're going to enforce this one? Somehow I can't see the bus driver getting out of his cab to go and confront a child who has already been listed as disruptive and violent.
- Lloyd, London
Why not paint his facial pimples bright green and his nose a cherry red; that way, he'd be laughed out of town by his peer group and be immediately recognised by all and sundry (if he dared show himself!).
But forget the ASBO thing - these clowns regard them as a badge of honour.
- Ted, Shetland Isles
We should bring back Conscription. Three years in the army does no one any harm.
- Mike, london
Just ban him from all Busses. If he can't behave on public transport then he has to walk or get a Bicycle. If these people knew that they would have to get off their bum's and walk in all weathers they'd soon become model citizens on the busses!
- Tony, Ealing
This appalls me. This just sends out a message that young people can do wahtever the without having to face any consequences for their actions. Who ensures that these teens abide by the rules of their ASBO? There aren't enough police out on the street to enforce punishments such as ASBO's.
- Bradley, Bucks
Firstly, these things are ridiculous. They can be applied to practically anything committed by a 'human' and so lose their value. Secondly, how do the police know when one has been breached? Is there going to be a LARGE list of people's names, faces and 'reason-they-got-issued-an-ASBO' given to everyone on the entire planet so we can monitor this?
They are ridiculous. We'd be better off making prisoners build new prisons to house their newly appointed criminal friends.
- Elvis Lover, Northwest London
It is pretty clear that ASBOs are not working as effectively as the government once thought that would. They don't appear to be preventing people from committing crimes in fear of getting one or after they have recieved one. The government needs to reconsider how this system works and make improvements to it.
- Dan, E16
Sorry if I am repeating what others have already said and stating the obvious, but why is he being allowed on ANY buses at all if this is the way he and his friends behave. Ok, if you want to be a vandal, be one, but take the consequenses.
If a total ban means you cant get to school, work or sign on then tough. We have all gone through a phase of wanting to be different, but this sort of vandalism is childish and for as long as no sanctions are in place that make their live uncomfortable they will carry on. I only hope that one day when they are a bit more mature they will reflect on what they have done and feel embarrassed and ashamed. I lived through the Punk era where we rebelled to make our point. What is their 'point', do they have one?
- Maria, Cambridgeshire
I think for ASBO's to work the recipient needs to be monitored very closely to ensure that it isn't breached and thats the biggest problem. Generally the recipient will just go about their usual business regardless of an ASBO! Also who will be making sure the young lad who got the ASBO won't be sitting on the top deck buses?
- John, Hackney
I don't get how this ASBO is going to stop him. Is he wearing a tag? Does the tag also have a Z axis so that officials will be able to tell when he is on the upper deck of a bus?
- Isabel, Woking, England
I don't think ASBO's are in anyway effective in reducing crime rate, its more like a badge of honour for the teenager who gets it. The government need to get tougher on teenage tearaways and merely giving them a rap on the knuckles and asking them nicely not to do it again, is clearly not effective!
- Stu, Islington
