THE York psychiatrist who has "cured" serial criminal Tony Davidson appealed today to be given a chance to do the same with the city's most notorious burglar.

Dr Bob Johnson said he believed he could finally turn around the life of "Blip Boy" John Harris - so called as a teenager because he committed so many break-ins that he single-handedly distorted York's crime statistics.

He said criminals such as Harris were "virtually addicted" to burglary, and claimed: "Locking him up is as useless as giving aspirin for a broken leg."

Dr Johnson made a similar appeal to be given a chance to "cure" Harris after the burglar had been jailed in 1999.

He warned then that there was every likelihood he would return to criminal activities on his release, unless the right action was taken to deal with the causes of his behaviour.

The offer was not taken up, and Harris was jailed again in 2001 after a court heard how he imprisoned an Acomb woman and her 13-year-old son in their own home as he tried to avoid police who he believed were out looking for him. After being released, he was jailed again last year for four-and-a-half years for offences including burglary.

The Evening Press reported yesterday how Tony Davidson, 42, of Walmgate, York, who carried out hundreds of burglaries, thefts and shoplifting offences over 30 years, had vowed he would never commit another crime after he spent 90 minutes with Dr Johnson in Hull Prison.

He said Dr Johnson had made him realise he was using his terrible childhood in care as an excuse for his life of crime, and that it was not doing him any good.

Dr Johnson, a former psychiatrist on C wing in Parkhurst Prison and head of therapy at Ashworth Maximum Security Hospital, said he believed he could also persuade Harris to finally turn his back on crime if he was only given the opportunity.

But he stressed that both the authorities and Harris would need to be willing to let him try.

York MP Hugh Bayley said today he could not comment directly on Dr Johnson, but would endorse the principle that the over-riding aim when people were sent to prison was to change them so they did not offend again.

He said he would be interested to meet Dr Johnson to hear his views.

Updated: 10:40 Friday, May 14, 2004