A TOWN drunk has been jailed after his 158th appearance in court.

Most of the cases have been because Neville Dickinson has been drunk and Chelmsford Crown Court was told his latest appearance was no different.

He walked into Colchester police station on August 2 and told officers “I’m drunk” and then started swearing at them, the court was told.

At the time, the 63-year-old was on a suspended sentence for causing trouble with railway staff, after he had been drinking.

Dickinson admitted breaking the terms of an Asbo by being drunk in public and breaking the terms of his suspended sentence.

Judge David Turner QC jailed him for a total of eight months.

Judge Turner told homeless Dickinson: “You have a chronic problem with alcohol.”

Judge Turner added the Dickinson’s Asbo had first been issued in 2005 and Dickinson had broken it every year since them.

The court was told Dickinson’s offending dated back 50 years and involved 157 court appearances for more than 300 offences – mostly drink related.

His lawyer, Lucy Osborne, told the court there was no real alternative to prison.