A 16-YEAR-OLD boy described as a "prolific offender" has been made the subject of a two-year anti-social behaviour order after assaulting a police officer.

Timothy Bolchover, of St John Street, Great Harwood, will also have to complete a 12-month supervision order including a three-month curfew and electronic tagging.

Magistrates decided to name the teenager at the request of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph and told him he only escaped a prison sentence because he had pleaded guilty.

Bolchover admitted assaulting PC Helen Jackson, of Great Harwood police, when she went to see him about breaching bail granted after a two-hour rooftop drama.

The court heard he refused to come down from the roof after he was spotted driving a car without insurance by another officer.

Magistrates were yesterday told police tried to coax him down but he picked up a slate from the roof of a house in St James Street, Great Harwood, and told officers: "If you come to get me I'll throw these."

When he finally came down he was charged with offences including driving without insurance and threatening behaviour.

David Hartley, prosecuting, told the court he was bailed and put under curfew with a tag, but broke the bail. When PC Jackson went to see Bolchover two weeks later he tried to escape and in the ensuing struggle, grabbed the officer around the neck and put her in a headlock. A witness tried to restrain the teenager but was told: "Let go of me or I'm going to strangle her."

The court heard the teenager had previous convictions for burglary and motoring offences over a 17-month period. Mr Hartley added: "It does show persistent offending. He has no respect for for anyone's property."

Carl Gaffney, defending, said: "This is the culmination of an 18-month period that has led to him being someone with not many convictions to someone on the precipice of a custodial sentence."

Chairman of the bench Terence Neville awarded £100 compensation to PC Jackson and disqualified Bolchover from driving for 12 months.

He said: "You have acted in an anti-social manner on various dates since January 2002. We felt the order necessary to protect local people from further anti-social acts. If you hadn't pleaded guilty you would most likely have received a custodial sentence."

PC Jackson said: "It's a good result for residents. We don't want to tolerate people who make other people's lives a misery."