A grumpy old man nicknamed "Mr Angry" has been landed with an ASBO after waging a campaign of complaints - littered with four letter words.

Hotheaded serial complainer Raymond Smith, 69, of Thelwell Road, Sale, used torrents of foul language as he whinged to civil servants and shopkeepers about swimmers in his local leisure centre, the price of pick n mix sweets and the removal of a cooker from his house.

Victims of his expletive strewn tirades feared the pensioner would use violence against them and one council worker locked himself in his van to escape.

In one incident a Labour councillor, Smith had asked for help over a keep fit course was confronted in the street and told: "You never do anything to help me you f**ing b***' - when I get away from here I have got your number and I'm coming to get you."

Two Trafford Housing Trust workers who were accused of failing to junk his cooker were told: "You're all f**ing wasters and if I had my way I would exterminate the f**ing lot of you.' Even when he was arrested former merchant navyman Smith exploded in a rage complaining to police: 'I'd love to have a moment with one of you - I'd do you in. You're all gobshites!' Before one subsequent court hearing he threw a cup of coffee over a photographer's head when his picture was taken before telling him to "f**k off."

The pensioner - who lives alone in his council bungalow and is partially deaf - later claimed he only swore because foul language was commonplace when he was in the merchant navy for 40 years as a chief engineer.

But in court Smith was warned he faced up to five years in jail if he breached the terms of his five year anti social behaviour order by his misbehaving in future.

He was also ordered to tone down his language after pleading guilty to public order matters and racially aggravated threatening behaviour.

Smith explained to Trafford magistrates: "I am not a very patient man and don't suffer fools lightly and never have.

"It seems all people want to do is tell you what to do all the time which I don't like. I didn't mean to do these offences - they have stitched me up.

"I want to go back to London - I don't want to stay up here - this is what I call hillbilly land. I am a clean and honest man."

Trafford magistrates were told Smith had been involved in a catalogue of incidents in the Sale area which erupted after he was banned from Sale leisure centre for using racist language against fellow centre users.

When he went to complain about the ban in a council housing office, Smith was munching on a sausage roll when he stormed up to a female member of staff and "appeared agitated and was rambling" said Miss Abigail Simpson, prosecuting.

"His chest was puffed out and he was waving his arms about and the staff member thought he was going to attack her.

"She confronted him about his behaviour and felt him spit on her face. She had food on her and his spittle and he said to her 'It was only a bit of f**ing sausage roll'."

Labour councillor Mr Phillip Gratrix who had been asked to help Smith get a refund over a keep fit course was walking through Sale town centre when the old man began shouting at him: "you never do anything to help me you f**ing b***''.

Miss Simpson added: "Mr Gratrix didn't want to get into a confrontation but described Mr Smith as being up close to his face. He shouted at him: 'When I get away from here I have got your number and I'm coming to get you.' "Mr Gatrix was concerned because he knew that Mr Smith knew where he lived and he was worried for the safety of his family."

The court heard Smith abused a German sweet shop worker in Warrington with racist language when she got caught up in a row with another customer over the price of the pick 'n' mix sweets.

In September last year two Trafford Housing Trust workers were abused as they visited homes to get rid of cookers. One of the workers Michael Fitzpatrick, 50, told the hearing: "He confronted me and said 'When are you going to move my f**ing cooker.' "He spoke in an aggressive manner and I knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. His demeanour was aggressive. I had no idea what he was on about with the oven but I asked him who he had called.

"He said he had called Trafford Borough council and I told him he needed to call Trafford Housing Trust.

"His response was not pleasant but we decided that we would move his oven as a good will gesture.

"But that's when he became more abusive and went into a tirade. He said 'You're all f**ing wasters and if I had my way I would exterminate the f**ing lot of you.' "So I thought, I don't need that kind of language, and I told him I wouldn't move the oven after saying that to me. He got aggressive and was shouting at me 'move the f**ing cooker'.

"All the time he was talking - he must have just eaten porridge for breakfast - he was spitting it out - I'm not saying it was at me but it was coming out of his mouth as he spoke.

"I decided that I wanted to put a safe distance between me and him and so I got back in my van and locked the doors. He came up to the window and I thought he was going to open the door - but he didn't - he turned and walked back towards his property.

"All the time he was shouting he looked aggressive - he had his fists clenched and his face distorted. We felt threatened by him and I didn't know if he was going to lash out at me - I didn't want to put myself in a position where that could happen so we left."

In mitigation defence lawyer John Mitchell said: "Mr Smith is 69 years of age and it is fair to say he is a bit of a loner. "Prior to his retirement he was in the merchant navy for some 40 years as a chief engineer.

"He was working in an extreme male environment where bad language is use all the time and that is perfectly normal for him.

"Whilst working in an engine room for many years he became hard of hearing. Approximately eight years ago he suffered a very bad stroke and he has suffered from a few since then.

"Since then he has had to learn how to speak again, how to read again and how to concentrate.

"As a result of that he finds the whole thing very frustrating. He does get angry very easily and he accepts that. Because he is frustrated he becomes angry and abusive."

Under the terms of the ASBO Smith was banned from approaching the aggrieved parties and the council housing offices. He was also fined £130 and ordered to pay £100 costs and was made the subject of a four month curfew order from 8pm to 6am.

Chair of the magistrates bench Mrs Dianne Campbell told Smith: "I will keep this very brief because I can see that you are not happy about being here."