A HOMELESS man is in custody after sitting outside McDonald’s in Hereford despite a criminal behaviour order banning him from an area of the city centre.

Michael Croke pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order.

The 58-year-old was banned from part of High Town and the High Street, as well as the whole of Commercial Street and Tesco supermarket in Bewell Street on March 6. The ban was to last for five years.

But Croke broke the conditions on March 13 when he entered Commercial Street, and again on March 31 when he sat outside McDonald’s in the city centre.

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He was originally handed the ban after several abusive incidents, including one where he ate chips from a diner’s plate in the Marks and Spencer café and another where he told a 16-year-old girl to buy alcohol for him. He also threatened several people and called them “rats”.

Croke was already barred from McDonald’s, and had previously been threatening to manager on January 7 when he said “Let’s take this outside”.

Croke was represented at a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court last month by Mr Rashid, where he was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing.