Council chiefs have blasted a 'daft' ASBO ruling which could see a serial thief escape a jail sentence. Gareth Flavell, 23, has plagued locals in Dudley by notching up a string of convictions in the last five years. The serial crook was handed an anti-social behaviour order by magistrates last June, banning him from committing any crime in the borough - with five years in jail if he broke its conditions. But he was back in court this month after breaking into a school just over the border in neighbouring Worcestershire. And because the burglary happened outside his ASBO area, Flavell could now escape a prison sentence. Last night, Coun Les Jones, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, blasted the 'weak' ASBO system. "It's not the magistrates' fault, it's the way ASBOs work," he said. "We need a return to the philosophy of 'three strikes and you're out'. "People like Flavell should not be able to exploit loopholes so they can keep on offending and effectively get away with it." Flavell, from Stourbridge, has a record of offences dating back at least four years. * In December 2000, he was convicted of breaking into a parked car and was placed on probation for 18 months. * In June 2001, he faced magistrates and was fined £130 - this time after being arrested for driving an unlicensed vehicle. * In June last year Flavell was finally handed an ASBO after councillors received complaints about his behaviour. Last September, police found his fingerprints at the scene of a burglary at Hanley Castle High School, near Malvern in Worcestershire. Flavell later admitted stealing three laptops, amplifiers and electronic recording equipment from mobile classrooms, and he will be sentenced at Worcester Crown Court next month. But because Flavell's latest offence happened outside the Dudley area, it will not be classed as a breach of his ASBO. Under Home Office guidelines, offenders who breach their ASBOs can be hit with a maximum five-year jail term if their case is heard at Crown Court. But Flavell could escape with just a community punishment order instead. Last night, one Stourbridge local said: "It's daft. He's racked up a sizeable record and now it seems he can just nip over into Worcestershire and carry on his behaviour there. "I thought ASBOs were meant to punish anti-social behaviour, but instead the crooks are just picking at loopholes in them." Last night, Coun Jones, who is also Dudley Council's lead member for community safety, added: "The law needs to be looked at again. ASBOs were intended to deal with minor anti-social behaviour, not career criminals. "Serial offenders need to know that if they continue to offend, they will face long jail terms." tom_wells@mrn.co.uk | 
