A serial drunken offender breached his antisocial behaviour order (Asbo) for the 14th time just hours after being released from prison.

Howard Russell was given an Asbo in July 2010 after a catalogue of incidents, including attacking paramedics and screaming at a vicar.

He is banned from being drunk in public, drinking in public and being aggressive to members of the public and the emergency services.

At Oxford Crown Court yesterday, his barrister Lucy Tapper said the order was “causing more problems than it is solving”.

The 57-year-old, of Langley Road, Abingdon, was jailed for 18 weeks in August for his 12th Asbo breach and was released from prison on October 12.

But the following day he was found in Boots in Oxford “behaving in a disorderly fashion”, prosecutor Cathy Olliver said. She said Russell was incoherent and “kept spitting on the floor”.

Having been remanded in custody over night and admitting the offence at Oxford Magistrates’ Court the following day, he was given a deferred sentence on the condition he sought help for his alcoholism.

But 48 hours later he was again drunk in public, this time wandering into traffic in Abingdon and shouting abuse at police officers.

Miss Tapper said: “This Asbo is causing more problems than it is solving.

“It is a rather stark illustration of the futility of the order with so many breaches.

“It is regrettable, but they will continue inevitably unless Mr Russell has the tools to tackle the root cause of his drinking.”

Judge Anthony King adjourned sentencing and said he faced a difficult choice between giving Russell an unusually long prison sentence to allow him to get on a six-month drink-rehabilitation course in jail or to seek help in the community.

He said: “The defendant is a pain in the neck. He is a danger to himself and a public nuisance.

“But we must not lock people up in prison for considerable lengths of time simply because they go and get themselves drunk.”

Responding to Miss Tapper’s assertions that her client was ready to seek help, Judge King added: “He absolutely is not.

“He comes straight out of prison and commits two identical breaches of his Asbo within 56 hours of doing so. He’s clearly not ready.”

Russell was remanded in custody until sentencing on November 25.