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Tuesday, 9th February 2010

Tramp has 3,000 online fans

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Published Date:
30 January 2009
He is one of Preston's most notorious criminals – but 'Toxic Terry' is fast developing a cult following.
Terrence Ashcroft is known throughout Preston for drinking petrol and sniffing lighter fluid, as well as accidentally setting himself on fire.

The 36-year-old is homeless and is currently serving a four-month jail term for breaching his ASBO ... yet also has an online fan club with almost 3,000 members.

A group called the Toxic Terry Fan Club has been formed on social networking site Facebook to chronicle his troubled life.

Under his ASBO he was prohibited from having any petroleum or solvents, as well as from making 999 calls other than in an emergency, and from using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

The site features various pictures of Terry with his 'friends', including some of him recovering in hospital.

It also contains spoof tubs of Toxic Terry Adhesive as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The site's message board has been flooded with stories about him as well as messages of support.

One said: "He'll be happy enough inside until April/May when they let him out.

"We'll all miss him but it's probably the best place for him in this weather. He's just as famous in prison though as he is on the streets – as soon as he goes in everyone wants to see the legend in the flesh."

Another reads: "Hope Terry has a good hol – won't be long before he is out enjoying himself again."

But Steve Lambert, director of volatile substance abuse charity Re-Solv, said his problems are a "tragedy" which should not be celebrated.

He said: "I think that rather than looking up to this person they should be saying this is the tragedy of a life destroyed.

"The message should be about what solvents can do to you. It is a tragedy, but this is the consequence of volatile substance abuse."

Mr Lambert added that, on average, solvent abuse claims the life of one person every week in the United Kingdom.

In 2004 hundreds of leaflets were distributed in Preston city centre to alert people to the terms of an ASBO which Ashcroft had received.

>>Loophole gets ASBO case thrown out

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  • Last Updated: 30 January 2009 3:47 PM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Preston
 
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1

angeldust,

31/01/2009 10:47:27
lmao fanclub that's funny!!!!
2

Cammy,

Town Centre 31/01/2009 10:49:51
Sadly for Terry many of the students in Preston regard him as a figure of fun. While he may revel in the attention he probably never received as a child, the attention is exploitative and riven with an undercurrent of mockery. I have witnessed UcLan students donating solvents and cigarette lighters to him, thinking that they are doing him a good turn.
3

brigpnefan,

preston 31/01/2009 11:30:15
Not a nice story to read,the man has problems and for people to poke fun at him on face book is a little sad. I like a joke like most,but i will not mock this poor man.
4

joboo,

preston 31/01/2009 14:31:08
LMAO Im in that group!
5

Lingering OAP,

31/01/2009 21:07:06
Isn't there any help out there for Terry ? A spell in prison is surely not the answer. And why does LEP's Ben Robinson describe him as a 'notorious criminal' ? Is he a rapist, armed robber, murderer ? I don't think so. Solvent abuse & making a few bogus 999 calls surely doesn't brand him that way.
At 36 he can still have a life. But he needs help. Perhaps Social Services should step in or Steve Lambert of Re-Solv could give a hand to steer him in the right direction. Off the streets - and away from his so called 'friends' on Facebook.
6

andy_P,

31/01/2009 21:25:56
It's a pretty sad story, Terry has been doing this for years as far as I remember, obviously receiving no help from anyone.
According to the group, his brother and family are living locally but have given up on him!
Very sad.
7

Dingo123,

31/01/2009 23:13:45
This is unreal, a fan club on Facebook which shows pictures of Terry along with solvents and paint ect, this fan group should be banned immediatley!!
The guy needs help, not a bunch of muppets who idolise him.
8

joboo,

preston 01/02/2009 01:08:19
And Dingo wind ya neck in mate, there's 3000 + a few more of us '' muppets'' then! The world we live in today is a disgrace and ya have to be off your face to stand living in it!
9

Sam Tana,

01/02/2009 01:43:11
The man's mentally ill - anyone signing up to his "fanclub" isn't far behind. Seriously.
10

Ex-Callon,

01/02/2009 05:56:20
If this guy was a dog, they'd put him down. Woof, woof.
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