A bearded menace known as "Bad Santa" has been slapped with an ASBO after a court heard how his antics would make Old Saint Nick blush.
Magistrates heard how foul-mouthed "Bad Santa" John Brown bestowed anything but Christmas cheer to shoppers across Merseyside.
Brown, 50, has been arrested by police 29 times in the past fifteen months for being drunk and disorderly, South Sefton Magistrates Court was told.
Evidence from more than twenty police officers showed how Brown would frequently walk the streets singing offensive songs, swearing at children and exposing himself.
The court heard that shoppers in Bootle had repeatedly complained about Brown's anti-social behaviour at the New Strand Shopping Precinct.
When drunk he frequently hurled a stream of four-letter abuse and would "flash" his private parts at passers-by.
Brown had been jailed for a month in July, after breaching a previous ASBO by exposing himself in front of a woman and her young daughter at Bootle.
Following his release he continued to behave aggressively, menacing children and abusing shoppers.
The new blanket Anti-Social Behaviour Order bans Brown from the area for four years.
Magistrate Robert Grindlay, said: "For approximately 18 months he has repeatedly carried out activities which have clearly been of an anti-social nature.
"These incidents have not been trivial nor indeed isolated. We have therefore concluded it is justified and clearly necessary to make an order."
Housewife, Joan Price, 42, of Bootle, said: "Everyone knows him as Bad Santa because of his big white beard.
"He might look like Father Christmas, but the way he behaves is more like Scrooge. Anti-social behaviour is putting it mildly.
"He frightens the children and people would cross the road to avoid him because they know that he is going do horrible things if he can get near them.
"People will think it's a bit harsh banning him from every shopping centre in the area, but I can understand why the magistrates have given him this ASBO.
"He's an absolute menace."
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