A SERIAL troublemaker has been totally banned from one part of Swindon.

Abdi Muse, 45, has been barred from possessing any alcohol in any public place in Swindon, and from entering the Broadgreen area at all.

The Asbo, which was called for by both the council and police, was sought after Muse, who is now living in Bristol, plagued Broad Green residents and shopkeepers with drunken and sometimes violent behaviour.

As reported in the Adver, when he was jailed late last year, anti-social crime there dropped by 47 per cent.

His new full-scale Asbo stays in place for two years and if he breaks it he could face five years in jail and a fine.

At the hearing yesterday, Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard that Muse, who has a degree in mathematics and used to play for the Somali national football squad, fled his native Somalia after being shot.

He was hit in the head and leg and his brother was killed, and Tony Nowogrodski, defending, told the court his drinking was a way of coping with post-traumatic stress disorder.

But he said the order to bar him from Broad Green or to stop him touching alcohol in Swindon was draconian.

Council solicitor Francis Maples said: “The purpose of it is, of course, to protect the public from harassment, alarm or distress.

“There is plenty of sympathy for him. He’s clearly a vulnerable man.

“But if you were to take the view that it wasn’t necessary for there to be an Asbo then we could be in a situation of being back at square one – with all the good work and all that has been achieved with the local community over the last six months being undone.”

But after hearing all the arguments, magistrate David Rogers agreed to grant the order – but amended it so Muse can access the drop-in facility in Carfax Street and the bus station, both of which are in Broad Green.

After the judgement was handed down, PC Mike Diffin, of the town centre policing team, said: "We got what we wanted.

“It’s absolutely fabulous. This is how Asbos should work – the community coming to us and asking if we can help. We’ve been able to work with the council and provide that help.

“He is more than welcome to come back to Swindon, provided he seeks help for any issues and problems he has.

“But he must understand, if he breaches these conditions he will be arrested and will be dealt with by the courts.”