A HOMELESS man breached his antisocial behaviour order (Asbo) when he was caught sniffing gas in a park, a court heard.

Dominic Norris, 30, is subject to a five-year Asbo which expires on September 9, 2012. He was given the order in 2007 after committing a string of offences including shop- lifting, assaults and vandalism, was seen by a PCSO sniffing butane gas in a park in Orchard Street, Lincoln. Norris, of no fixed abode, admitted the breach on Tuesday.

He previously attended Lincoln Magistrates' Court last Friday when he was given a conditional discharge for theft.

Norris's solicitor, Tony Cunningham, said his client believed he was outside the city centre exclusion zone.

Mr Cunningham said: "He genuinely thought he was outside the prohibited zone. He was actually on the borderline of the zone."

Conditions of the Asbo include a ban from about 80 businesses which are members of the Lincoln Business Improvement Group exclusion scheme.

He is not allowed to sniff butane gas or consume alcohol in a public place or carry unsealed alcohol containers.