One of the youngest kids to ever get an ASBO says he wants to meet Sir Keir Starmer to help a future generation of youngsters. Danny Oakley, now 29, who is gay, wants to offer hope to LGBT kids from tough backgrounds.
He and brother Rickey, 10, were nicknamed 'ASBROS' in 2006 when the pair were front page news and Danny was the youngest person to appear on the Jeremy Kyle Show. Dubbed 'Demon Hell Kids' and 'Brothers Grim' the pair faced jail for a 70-crime rap sheet including arson, burglary, shoplifting and racist language in Wolverhampton.
But Danny was later elected Equalities Officer at college, now wants to meet Sir Keir - and says if he had the right chances early in life he could have been a politician. He believes "silver spoon" politicians have left the UK in a worse mess than the ASBO era.
Danny said: "'I was the 'demon child from hell' - I used to be so famous it was unreal. I would love to meet Keir Starmer, he's been upholding the law and I've been the one breaking it, we might learn something.
"I'm surprisingly articulate but my criminal record holds me back. 'I broke so many ASBOs, there's only so many places you can be banned from. People don't believe I'm gay, I grew up with straight-acting chavvy lads doing drugs and moving drugs.
''I wasn't raised with someone saying 'you can be a princess'." But he says things have changed, adding: "I'm a big believer in equality and watch PMQs every Wednesday.
''All the government are interested in is having parties. It was bad when we were kids but today people don't have morals, because people at the top don't have morals."
The siblings ran riot after their parents split and were pictured covered in iodine after Ricky threw a gas cannister on a fire. After being kicked out of secondary school at 13, Danny moved to 'naughty school' where trips to Alton Towers were a reward - which fueled his reoffending.
But Danny said adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were overlooked by authorities, and he was forced into homeschooling, making his life "isolated". Working full-time gave him a chance to live a normal life, although Danny is currently unemployed and getting mental health support for the first time.
Danny said: "'Me and my brother had 70 offences between us, we were allowed to run riot and got rewarded with mad holidays, the whole school wanted to be our mates. We were effectively told we were scum by a judge, so we carried on.
''When I found out I was on the front page of a newspaper, it was such an adrenaline rush. If I'd had the right attention, I could have achieved anything. I could have been a politician.
''All I needed was a boost. Going to college gave me confidence. Nobody was asking what was going on at home. If kids are acting up, there's a reason."
But he warned child protection failures have got worse. Danny said: "It's heartbreaking and it shouldn't be happening, they are scared of being politically incorrect for asking questions.
"If people use common sense that outweighs everything. People turned their backs who could have helped, I'm not blaming them, it's the training and the systems.
"Being in foster care is one of my happiest memories, police and social services weren't interested. Anything in the area was blamed on us. Some of those 70 crimes we didn't commit. Anytime I walked past police, they would make me take the battery out of my phone to check it wasn't stolen."
He counts two friends as his surrogate family, foregoing romance and partying in a bid for a drama-free life. Danny says a 28-day stint in jail in 2014 made him realise freedom was the most important thing in life, although Ricky has been in and out of prison.
He has nothing to do with his family. Danny said: "I'm more intelligent than the rest of my family and feel like I was swapped at birth.
"People still recognise me on the street and say 'You're the ASBO kid'. I would love to be living a peaceful and calm life. Everyone's dream is two kids, nice home, nice car. I look out for my friends' kids because of my childhood.
"I want to start doing charity work, it still isn't easy being LGBT in the Midlands."
