He is a baby-faced schoolboy, scarcely out of short trousers, who is often polite and quite bashful at times.

But, at the age of 10, Anthony Bird has more than 60 police incidents recorded against him for a string of misdemeanours including assault, criminal damage, drinking alcohol in public and swearing at officers.

Yesterday he was named by magistrates who handed him an antisocial behaviour order.

The boy whimpered “sorry” after becoming one of the youngest in the country to be given an ASBO.

He agreed to the conditions, imposed for two years – the minimum period – that will ban him from entering parts of his native Middlesbrough.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court decided that the order was necessary to protect the public after an application by Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. They warned him that, when he turns 12, he can be locked up for the criminal offence of breaching it.

Sonia Brogden, the bench chairman, told him: “Things have got very, very serious indeed. You’ve got to take notice. You’ve got to stick to these conditions like glue.”

The order was imposed for antisocial behaviour between May 2006 and February this year.

Anthony, who was known to hang around derelict buildings in the South Bank area of the city, was also given a six-month individual support order and his father, Nigel Bird, a three-month parenting order.

Allowing him to be identified after reporting restrictions were lifted, Mrs Brogden said that the publicity would help to enforce the order, deter others from antisocial behaviour and highlight justice to the community. “We feel that the public interest in this case outweighs the issue of Anthony’s age and welfare, although we have not taken that lightly in any respect,” she added.

Sergeant Bryan Tams, who heads the antisocial behaviour team in the Redcar and Cleveland area, said: “Anthony was well known to the police and was spoken to on numerous occasions about his behaviour.

“His parents were also spoken to but no action could be taken because he was so young. Once he turned 10 he was eligible to be given an ASBO. His age is not important. He has been just as troublesome as children older than him who have been given ASBOs.”

He said that the boy got involved with peers in South Bank who used him and egged him on. “The people of South Bank have had enough,” he said. “They are pleased that we are taking this action.”

A council spokesman said it was hoped that Anthony could change: “We recognise his young age, but we felt it was necessary to seek this ASBO in a bid to prevent further acts of antisocial behaviour.”

Kevin Skelton, Anthony’s head teacher at Ravensworth Primary School, Normanby, said his behaviour at school was acceptable much of the time, and he responded positively to discipline.

“The Anthony we see at school is clearly a very different young man to the one that roams the streets of South Bank,” he said.

David Scourfield, Anthony’s solicitor, said the boy had been involved with older people who got him to “fire their bullets”.

He added: “He is bright and capable, and his academic progress has been blighted by his poor attitude to school.”

No-go areas

Under the terms of the ASBO, Anthony Bird is prohibited from:

— Behaving in a way that causes harassment, alarm or distress

— Using threatening, insulting or abusive words or behaviour in public

— Joining disorderly groups of more than three people

— Drinking alcohol or being under the influence of alcohol in public

— Behaving in a way that threatens, intimidates or annoys the staff or customers of shops in Middlesbrough

— Kicking or throwing stones or other objects at people, buildings or vehicles, or threatening to do so

— Entering the South Bank area of the city unless accompanied by a parent or relative aged 18 or over

— Leaving home between 9pm and 7am unless accompanied by a parent or relative aged 18 or over

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