IT is almost 12 years since Blackburn MP Jack Straw introduced ASBOs when he was Home Secretary.

Since then they’ve had their critics. Some say the orders are badges of honour, while others claim the stigma of being named and shamed restricts people’s ability to move on with life.

But, whatever the alleged downsides, police still have faith and are continuing to make use of them on a regular basis.

This week five have been issued in East Lancashire, with, strange as it sounds, a dog which bit someone being one of the recipients.

The others are two brothers who terrorised Shadsworth in Blackburn and a youth known for giving drunken abuse to people in Kibble Bank, Burnley.

Today it is ‘Blackburn’s worst shoplifter’ Michael Aspin, who has been given an ASBO banning him from the town centre.

This is the third ASBO Aspin has been given over nine years.

While earlier orders gave his previous haunt of Accrington a reprieve, it seems to have moved the problem onto Blackburn.

And he has continued to be a ‘one man crimewave’.

While ASBOS are certainly extremely useful in giving police more powers of arrest, Aspin’s case would seem to indicate they do little for the rehabilitation of the offender.