A PENSIONER has been given an ASBO which bans him from calling the police in a non- emergency.

Blackburn magistrates were told that John Robert Fuller, 67, of Hayhurst Street, Clitheroe, had repeatedly phoned the force on Christmas Day because he was lonely.

District Judge Peter Ward, sitting at Blackburn magistrates, heard that Fuller had been convicted of similar offences on two previous occasions and told him it had to stop.

Buller pleaded guilty to persistently using a public network to cause annoyance, anxiety or inconvenience.

Fuller was fined £150 with £60 costs and made subject to an anti-social behaviour order which prohibits him from contacting the emergency services except in a genuine emergency, when the attendance of a police officer or other emergency personnel is required or to report a crime.

He faces a prison sentence of up to five years if he breaks the ASBO.

The judge said: "You were making a totally inapp-ropriate use of the line to the police which diverted to the main control room.

"You could have been interfering with genuine 999 calls.

"The police have not got the time to talk to you for no good reason.

"But you must know this because you have already been to court twice for similar offences."

Aftab Bakhat, defending, said his client suffered from depression and anxiety.

He said: "On Christmas Eve, when the first call was made, he was simply lonely and .

"Unfortunately for my client the calls are now routed to the central control room."

Mr Bakhat said Buller was asked if he needed emergency treatment and when he said no the operator hung up on him.

He said: "Unfortunately he rang back to ask why and went on to make several calls."