HOOK, LINE & STINKER
A SERIAL bag-snatcher who used fishing hooks and line to reel in victims' handbags has been banned from almost 40 Edinburgh streets.
Tiffany CufflinksCareer criminal James McMillan, 32, has been slapped with an anti- social behaviour order banning him from the city centre.
He had targeted customers in bars, shops and clubs over the last three years.
McMillan, who has 72 convictions for fraud and dishonesty offences, preyed on elderly women and foreign tourists to help fund his drug habit. Handbags were reeled away from unsuspecting punters using high power led bulbs fishing lines and hooks to escape detection.
The thief, from Niddrie, is the first person in the city to have an "exclusion zone" banning them from a designated area.
A hearing to decide if an order is to be served in full will be heard later this year.
Other criminals could soon be hit with similar orders under plans unveiled by police chiefs. Detective Constable Andy Higgins said: "We identified the
embroidered patches key areas of McMillan's offending and have been successful at obtaining the interim Asbo.
"This is a powerful preventative piece of legislation that will assist front-line officers and members of the public greatly."
Councillor Sheila Gilmore, the councillor in charge of tackling antisocial behaviour, added: "This is yet more evidence of our unwavering commitment to keeping the city's residents and visitors safe."
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