THEY suffered years of abuse at the hands of thug Lee James Powell. Today the long-suffering community he terrorised finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Residents in Chapelfields today hailed the judge's decision to ban Powell from their streets for the next five years.

There was even more jubilation after hearing that Powell had left the city entirely - to live with his mother in Market Weighton, where he has the chance of a job with a building firm.

They said such rulings could help give law-abiding householders in neighbourhoods such as Chapelfields a chance to get on with their lives, undisturbed by yobs.

"They are doing the right thing," said one, Harold Chadwick. "They should have done it years ago. Old people are afraid to go out at night."

Simon Duck agreed, saying: "I think it's brilliant. Good riddance."

Further support came from a woman who, like many people interviewed by the Evening Press, did not wish to be identified: "It's fantastic - brilliant news," she said. "It would have been even better if he had been behind bars, but it's good enough. It's a good idea."

Another woman agreed, saying: "I think it's a wonderful idea."

But Lin Gould gave a more cautious welcome. "It's a good idea," she said. "But whether it's effective, only time will tell."

Rosie Wall, chairwoman of Chapelfields Residents' Association, said: "If it's going to help the estate, it's a bonus."

Powell, 19, was sentenced yesterday after being convicted by a York jury last November of unlawful violence over a pickaxe incident.

The court heard then how, when living in Chapelfields Road last May, Powell had threatened police officers with a pickaxe in his front garden, foiled their attempt to subdue him with CS gas and fled through his home and out of the back door, a court heard. It was just the latest in a string of crimes on the estate.

Judge Scott Wolstenholme yesterday ordered him to do two years' of community rehabilitation, including an intensive control and change programme aimed at making him go straight, and made an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) for five years, banning him from the area between Wetherby Road, the outer York ring road, Askham Lane and Ridgeway.

Powell was also banned from Beckfield Lane between Boroughbridge Road and Wetherby Road. Powell, who has just finished a ten-month prison sentence for other offences, did not contest the order.

Powell is the second yob in a week to be banned from the estate for five years. Last week, a district judge gave Kevin Iain Scott, 22, of Acomb, an ASBO barring him from Chapelfields and Beckfield Lane.

Powell's crime file

1999:

Aged 13, starts criminal career with shoplifting.

2001:

Resisted a police officer and caught driving dangerously, committing a drink-drive offence and criminal damage.

2002:

Caught stealing.

2003:

8 July, locked up for first time with an eight-month detention and training order (DTO) for burglaries and taking a vehicle without owner's consent. Before that, he had resisted a police officer and breached a community rehabilitation order. 16 December, in court for breaching the DTO.

2004:

12 March, 200 hours' community punishment for driving while disqualified. 14 May, threatened police with a pickaxe. 30 September, jailed for ten months for seven thefts, one deception, a public order offence, two offences of skipping bail and only doing 15 hours of the community punishment. 14 November. Stood trial at York Crown Court for unlawful violence with a pickaxe. 19 November, convicted of unlawful violence.

2005:

February 6, finished ten-month sentence, but kept in custody. February 7, released to begin two-year community rehabilitation order for the pickaxe offence and banned for five years from Chapelfields under anti-social behaviour order.

Updated: 10:04 Tuesday, February 08, 2005