A CHRONIC alcoholic who was banned from Burnley town centre under a criminal behaviour order repeatedly breached the order.

Blackburn magistrates heard Paul John Manley was arrested three times after police saw him drinking on a bench in St James Street.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said on one occasion police were called because Manley was shouting abuse at passers-by.

"He was drinking cider and chasing after females shouting abuse at them," said Miss Allan.

Manley, 52, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching a criminal behaviour order, one of shoplifting and one of being drunk and disorderly.

He was jailed for 36 weeks and ordered to pay £115 victim surcharge on release.

Miss Allan said the criminal behaviour order had been put in place on September 9 in an attempt to curtail his disorderly behaviour.

The first breach was on September 27, the second on October 2 and the third the next day.

David Leach, defending, said when the police saw Manley all he was doing was sitting on a town centre bench drinking cider.

"He does not accept he was chasing women and shouting abuse," said Mr Leach.

"He didn't decide to be an alcoholic and he didn't decide to go into the town centre to fly in the face of a court order.

"All he remembers is waking up in a police cell on three occasions."

Mr Leach said if his client stopped drinking he ended up in hospital after suffering fits.

"His need for alcohol is a genuine emergency," said Mr Leach.