The mother of a teenage tearaway has defended her son, blaming his unruly behaviour on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Earlier this week James Fitzgerald, 14, of The Highlands, Cuckfield, was the first person in Mid Sussex to receive an antisocial behaviour order (Asbo).

Sussex police and the district council compiled a dossier of complaints from residents against James stretching over three years.

But mum Judy Fitzgerald said the punishment was over the top and insisted her son had been singled out by the authorities. She claimed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was the cause of her son's problems.

Judy, 48, said: "James is not just like any other kid going out and causing problems. He has ADHD and people should know that.

"He is no way near as bad as the papers are making out. I could give you the names of three other kids who are worse.

"I think the police and the council have gone right over the top about it. People are not frightened of him - he's 14 years old. I think it is disgusting that he has been named at his age. He's been in trouble in the past but show me someone his age who has not."

The single mum accused her neighbours of being snobs and looking down on her family.

"They all live in council houses but because it's a close and Cuckfield is meant to be posh they think they are better than us. They are all snobs."

Fitzgerald, who frequently absconded from school, was banned from driving at the age of 13 after a string of public order offences.

Among other things, the ASBO bans Fitzgerald from using abusive language, entering, damaging or taking property, driving, and drinking alcohol in public places.

Breaking the two-year order could lead to him being sent to a young offenders' institution.