A CROWN Court judge has criticised the current 'namby-pamby' state of ASBOs that often are unenforcable after an application was made for such on order on a man with mental health problems.

Adaku Oragwu, prosecuting at Canterbury Crown Court, said an ASBO - an anti-social behaviour order - would prevent George Moses, of Clements Road, Ramsgate, from committing further nuisance offences

But Judge Timothy Nash questioned how such an order would achieve that.

Moses, 39, was to be sentenced for making hoax calls to the emergency services about gas leaks, illness, assaults and burglaries.

The ambulance service alone received 197 999 calls and crews were intimated by his behaviour. One crew waited down the road and saw Moses running towards them brandishing a piece of wood.

Moses' bizarre behaviour included turning up at a hospital in Margate at 5.45am asking to be seen by a nurse because he was sexually frustrated, asking female library staff sexual questions being verbally aggressive to counter staff at Margate police station and Job Centre.

In recent months he made 119 calls to the police and they received 28 calls about him.

His lawyer, Simon Clarke, said not all calls were hoaxes. On one occasion, the fire service had found Moses' gas cooker was faulty and Mr Clarke questioned who was to decide what was a genuine call.

"I am horrified by the proposition that an order be put in place that prevents this man from contacting the police. That is a grave restriction on public rights and it should not be embarked on," he said.

Judge Nash said he found signs in hospitals and shops warning the public about threatening behaviour towards staff, threatening in themselves.

"You can't say anything that doesn't please the staff and the result is that members of staff in these organisations can't deal with people who have genuine psychiatric problems, as Mr Moses does.

"We live in this namby-pamby state where everybody rushes to get ASBOs. The latest figures show they are not anywhere near as successful as intended and there are so many breaches people can't keep up with them, the local auithorities don't do anything about them and the police don't, they don't have the manpower."

He turned down the Crown's application saying it would only lead to a lengthy prison sentence for Moses if and when breached and sentenced him to six months, suspended for two years with a condition he continues to receive psychiatric help

As Moses left the dock he said: "Cheers Your Honour. Pop down and I'll buy you a scotch."