SCOTLAND'S most notorious youth criminal was praised by a sheriff yesterday for turning over a new leaf and avoiding a potential life of crime.

Edmond Eccles, 17, who is thought to have been one of the sources of inspiration for the Scottish Executive's Antisocial Behaviour Bill, was banned from most of central Scotland for 12 months after his gang terrorised his home town.

But Alloa Sheriff Court heard that since moving to live in Aberdeen, Eccles had grown up and changed beyond recognition.

Sheriff David Mackie congratulated the self-confessed ''super ned'', and opted to give him just two years' probation.

Addressing Eccles, of Alva, Clackmannanshire, he said: ''Before I go on, it would be remiss of me not to say well done for the progress you have made.

''You have come from an appalling record to this situation. You are going to benefit from the good choices you have made by the disposal I am going to make. Probation is far from a let-off because you are about to enter the most difficult phase over the next two years.

''If you carry on the way you have done recently, I am confident you will be able to complete the order.''

Eccles thanked the sheriff before kissing his fiancee and leaving the court hiding under a duffel coat.

His crime spree, beginning in January 2003, had been described in court as ''a shocking catalogue of criminality''.

However, Grant Markie, his lawyer, said he was a changed person. He told the court: ''It appears that since his removal from the immediate vicinity, he has matured a great deal.''

Eccles is now in full-time employment, working from 10am until 7.30pm in a call centre and is engaged to be married. His fiancee is pregnant and their first child is due to be born in May next year.

Mr Markie said: ''The combination of factors, and the prospect of becoming a father, have had such an impact that the social workers' report says he is 'at low risk' of reoffending. That is the extent to which he has changed.''

Eccles was controversially remanded in custody to Glasgow's Barlinnie prison when he was two months short of his 16th birthday. In November last year, as he was due to stand trial on 37 charges of assault, theft, housebreaking, disorder, police assault and drug misuse, his lawyer struck a deal under which he pled guilty to 17 charges, with the other 20 dropped.

In June, he admitted causing a breach of the peace by shouting and swearing at staff at Aberdeen City Council headquarters and hitting a plastic screen. He lashed out after a row with his brother, with whom he lives in the city.

Eccles could not be contacted for comment last night.