WE are banned from naming the 12-year-old who has been given an antisocial behaviour order for the problems he’s been causing our community.

We can, however, name two other people whose illogical decision to grant this pre-teen anonymity may cause our community further harm: magistrates Elizabeth Harrison and Dennis Young.

Their decision at Oxford Magistrates’ Court flies in the face of guidance and any common sense: Enforcement of any Asbo can only be aided by the public being aware of it.

That has been a well-rehearsed argument for almost 10 years.

An Asbo, in case our magistrates are unaware, is the final part of a process to bring miscreants into line and it is there to, first and foremost, protect the public by stopping the offender continuing their behaviour.

If they breach the Asbo it is a criminal offence but, sensibly, we cannot expect our over-stretched police force to be on hand to witness this.

The enforcement of Asbos relies on the public being able to tell police if they spot the order being breached.

But what if the public don’t know who is subject to this Asbo?

It seriously limits the effectiveness of the order. And for that we have to thank magistrates Harrison and Young and their decision to ban you from knowing who has committed trouble serious enough to warrant an Asbo.

Councillor Bob Timbs, the man apparently charged with community safety, is similarly muddled in his thinking there needs to be protection for the child.

If that is so, then an Asbo is surely the wrong path to go down.

The lad has had an acceptable behaviour contract before and, presumably, broke that.

If he needs “protection” and help then other action rather than the draconian powers of an Asbo should have been used. However the council decided a 12-year-old was causing so many problems that an Asbo was needed, so it can’t have it both ways.