Teeage girl banned from town centre


13 April 2007 09:22

A teenage tearaway has been banned from setting foot in her town centre for two years after a court heard how she was the gangleader of a group which terrorised a community.

Chelsea Godden, 16, pictured below, was involved in more than 60 incidents of anti-social behaviour during an eight-month crime spree in North Walsham.

Her list of wrongdoings included blowing an air horn in a disabled pensioner's ear, harassing supermarket staff and smashing bottles in a churchyard.

The teenager, from Howlett Close, North Walsham, was also ran amok at a community centre, drank alcohol on the street, being involved in a violent altercation with Polish people and swearing at an off-duty chief inspector out jogging.

Yesterday, she became the first person in north Norfolk to be given a full anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) after agreeing to be excluded from a large part of North Walsham so residents can have a respite from her reign of terror.

Police will now be distributing leaflets with the details of Godden's ban and photograph across the town so people can keep a check on her. A large part of her behaviour was targeted at the town's Sainsbury store, including throwing stones, swearing at staff and pushing the manager, who was forced to employ extra security guards to deal with her.

Because of the scale of Godden's behaviour and her reluctance to work with crime reduction officers, North Norfolk District Council and Norfolk Police decided the only resort was to apply for the Asbo.

Her Asbo would be regularly reviewed and that if she kept out of trouble her order could be revoked by magistrates.

If Godden breaches the order by entering the town centre she could be sentenced for up to one year in a young offenders' institute with a further year's supervision.

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