A PERSISTENT beggar who was a ‘menace’ to shoppers and traders in Burnley town centre has been ordered to stop his anti-social behaviour.

Carl Waddington, 36, has been told he will be sent to jail if he intimidates any more town centre shoppers after he was given a two-year anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) yesterday.

Police said they received complaints of Waddington harassing shoppers almost every day for the last 12 months.

His favourite haunts included Boot Way, Keirby Walk and Manchester Road.

The ASBO will prevent him from harassing or intimidating people in the town centre and sitting in shop doorways or on benches for the purposes of begging.

Police said Waddington, who used to live in Burnley but has now moved to Blackburn, would follow shoppers down the street and resort to physical intimidation to try to get money out of people.

Traders were so fed up with Waddington’s actions costing them customers that they asked police to take action and provided statements to help secure the ASBO.

PC Adam Gordon, anti-social behaviour officer at Burnley police, said: “He was a massive disruption to people, not only those coming into the town centre to do shopping but also to shopkeepers.

“He was having an affect on their businesses, shopkeepers were constantly going out and asking him to move but were met with intimidation.

“It was aggressive begging. He would follow people down the road asking for money and would resort to physical intimidation. When he is outside shops it puts people off going in them and those businesses are affected as a result. He was a menace.

“I think the shopkeepers had reached the end of their tether. They approached neighbourhood police officers and provided statements to help get the order.”

Brian Hobbs, president of Burnley’s Chamber of Trade, said that Waddington had been having an effect on town centre traders.

He said: “This was a real issue for town centre businesses and we are glad it has been sorted out.

“The last thing we need in the current conditions is people making it more difficult for town centre businesses, so this gets our full support.

“It also puts people off coming in the town centre and we don’t want that.”

An application was made to the court by Jonathan Jackson, on behalf of Burnley Council and supported by police, based on Waddington's behaviour for around a year up to September 2011.

PC Ashley James, of Burnley Police, said: “People should be allowed to come into the town centre without being harassed by the likes of Waddington.

“This will hopefully mean a fresh start for him but also protect people from the intimidation they suffered at his hands."

Waddington, formerly of Arran Street, Burnley, but now of Shadsworth House, Dunoon Drive, Blackburn, is now said to be receiving help for drink and drug problems and has a settled address.

Catherine Fell, defending, said her client was seriously assaulted last year and spent six weeks in hospital.

He was found hostel accommodation by hospital support workers upon his release and was now on benefits, she added.

Magistrates chairman David Bennett said: "If you come to Burnley and breach this order then you will go to prison."

Council bosses and police have previously pledged to crack down both on persistent beggars and shoplifters who continually target town centre stores.