It's not just slap-happy baseball-capped teen ne'er-do-wells high on alcopops who find themselves at the receiving end of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) - they can also be used to control the menace of drunken and abusive solicitors, the Mirror reports.

Personal injury specialist Colette Cowap, 38, faces five years in chokey if she breaches the order granted yesterday by Blackpool magistrates at the request of police. Cowap had reportedly boozed her way to a "catalogue of drunken and abusive behaviour", including a conviction for drink driving and abusing staff at Blackpool's Victoria Hospital following another "incident".

The terms of the order oblige Cowap to refrain from abusing or intimidating anyone and to vacate shops, hotels and hospitals when asked to leave.

The court heard that Cowap had a "very good job" but work pressure drove her to hit the bottle. A former colleague told the Mirror: "This is a tragedy for Colette." ®

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