A 31 year old man who conned passengers into giving him money with a series of hard luck stories has been given a five year ASBO.

Michael Conway-Williams, from Polygon Road in Crumpsall earned a reputation amongst  British Transport Police and Metrolink staff for getting onto trains, trams and buses and making up a range of sob stories about his family or friends being stranded and asking other passengers to help by giving him money.

He has several convictions for using stories to beg from passengers on public transport.

He told passengers on a tram that his luggage had been stolen and he needed money for him, his wife and his daughter to travel. In another episode, on a bus, he said his wallet had been stolen.

He has also been stopped for travelling without a valid ticket. On 4th October 2009, an employee of Stagecoach/Metrolink asked to see Michael Conway-Williams' ticket when he got off a tram. He became aggressive and threatened the employee with violence.

Manchester City Council applied for an ASBO against Michael Conway-Williams and it was granted by magistrates on January 19  2010. The terms of the ASBO ban him from:

1) Using abusive, threatening insulting offensive or intimidating language or behaviour against any person employed by public transport companies or their contractors
2)Using abusive threatening insulting offensive or intimidating language or behaviour against a travel safe officer employed by British Transport Service.
3)Using any train,tram, bus or other method of public transport without first purchasing a valid ticket. Any such ticket must be produced for inspection when requested to by authorised ticket inspector or Police Officer.
4) begging or attempt to beg from any person travelling on public transport.
5) Pestering, harassing, or requesting any money, or other such property from any person travelling on public transport.

Manchester City Council Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, Councillor Paul Andrews said: "Passengers should be able to travel around Manchester without being harassed and conned out of their hard-earned cash. This man had become a menace on public transport and we want to send out a clear message that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated."

Councillor Keith Whitmore, Chair of Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority, said: "Everyone has the right to travel on buses, trains and trams in peace and we will not tolerate aggressive and antisocial behaviour towards passengers or members of staff. Incidents of this nature are rare, but we will continue to work with our partners to address this kind of behaviour to ensure that public transport continues to be a very safe and secure way of travelling, and is an attractive alternative to the private car."

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