Asbo man banned from city centre
27 Jul 06
Order excludes persistent bag thief from 40 Edinburgh streets
An Edinburgh man has become the first person to be issued with an antisocial behaviour order in the form of an exclusion order banning him from 40 of the city's streets.
The city council applied for the order after James McMillan was convicted of a number of bag thefts from customers in bars and restaurants.
McMillan (32), who has a string of convictions for dishonesty, used fishing hooks and lines to steal the bags from elderly women and foreign tourists. The antisocial behaviour investigation team from Edinburgh City Council and Lothian and Borders Police worked together to secure an interim Asbo banning McMillan from the city centre.
The council is now applying for a full Asbo at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.