A man has been given a three year Anti-Social Behaviour Order after he wrote abusive comments in public toilets about women he had taken a dislike to.

David Jell, 49, of Linnington, Queens Road, Hawkhurst, was given the ASBO by Sevenoaks magistrates.

Under the terms of the ASBO, which is in place until December 2011, Jell is prohibited from:

• Writing or displaying abusive comments. writing names or nicknames of any person and/or the contact details of any person in a public place;

• Acting in an anti-social manner that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as the defendant in the County of Kent and East Sussex

• Carrying spray paint or felt tip marker pens in a public place.

If the terms of the ASBO are broken Jell could face a prison sentence, a fine or both.

The order was made after Jell’s conviction for offences of criminal damage and harassment for which he received a two year community order which includes a requirement for supervision and mental health treatment. The offences took place between January and September 2007.

The criminal damage Jell was convicted of included writing abusive comments in public lavatories about women he had taken a dislike to. He would also draw the attention of his victims to rude or distressing words and images he wrote on his newspaper as he travelled on the bus.

There was no reason behind his choice of victim other than he saw them on a bus he frequently used or that they lived or worked in the community where he lived.

Their courage in helping police prepare a case against Jell was praised by PC Debs Rudkin.

She said: “Without the willingness of the victims to come forward it is possible Mr Jell would not have been convicted. I am very grateful to them.”

District Chief Inspector Russell Nyman said: ‘The ASBO should ensure we do not see a repeat of this type of behaviour.

“We take reports of this nature very seriously and we will use the law if necessary to keep the district a safe place for all.

“It is only right that people should be able to live and work without fear of harassment from an individual who has decided to target them.”