A HOMELESS man in Glasgow has been hit with a 99-year super-Asbo in a bid to tackle racist repeat offenders.

A HOMELESS man in Glasgow has been hit with a 99-year super-Asbo in a bid to tackle racist repeat offenders.

In the longest Asbo ever imposed, Michael Gilligan was served with the criminal antisocial behaviour order after a series of racially aggravated assaults against security staff at a Gorbals supermarket.

Now community safety workers are preparing to use the same laws to curb hate crime across the city.

Gilligan, 49, pleaded guilty to the verbal and physical attacks on Afro-Caribbean guards at the Somerfield store at the shopping centre in Crown Street.

And today Constable Drew Pryde, a South Side race relations officer, said: "This sends out a strong message to offenders that orders can be used to improve community safety."

The attacks, in June, July and October were flagged up in a regular review of offences by the city's Multi-agency Racist Incidents Monitoring Group, Marim.

Officials worked with police to compile a report for the Procurator Fiscal who was able to apply for the order as part of sentencing when Gilligan admitted the offences.

Sheriff Gillian Bryson then issued the order which bans Gilligan from entering or loitering near the shop or approaching staff.

Record order is smashed

THE previous record for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order was 20 years, served on a London woman last year.

Olga Conco, 34, was banned from returning to the road where she used to live in Hackney, East London, until 2027.

If she disobeys the order, she faces jail.

Ms Conco created such havoc that police were called out more than 90 times over a three-year period to deal with her behaviour, which included banging on doors and yelling at young children.

Neighbours accused her of turning their peaceful street, where Victorian terrace houses sell for £700,000, into a place where residents were afraid to leave their homes.

The serving of a criminal Asbo, rather than a civil one, means he can be arrested on the spot if he so much as sets foot in the car park.

And it came into force before he even left court, unlike the civil version of the orders which can require months of meetings and evidence gathering.

Superintendent Mike Dean said: "We believe this is the first time a criminal Asbo has been used to deal with racially aggravated behaviour in Glasgow.

"It allows us to deal with an offender more quickly and it is more reassuring for the victims.

"We will continue to monitor offences and where we see a similar patterns we will not hesitate in requesting a similar order."

The order against Gilligan runs for 99 years and can only be withdrawn after further legal process.

Constable Pryde added: "We look both to support the victims of an offence and the offender to help break the cycle of offending.

"If an offender's behaviour changes, they can apply to have the order lifted so the onus is on them."

Community safety workers established that the staff involved were well supported at work and able to cope with the incidents.

It is believed Gilligan is being helped with a range of issues, including housing and health problems.