A government-funded scheme will involve police, council and other agencies.

It will rely on Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO), which some critics claim do not tackle underlying problems.

Sunderland University criminologist Mike Presdee said ASBOs do not work and the �200,000 funding would be better spent improving communities.

'Doomed to failure'

But Julia Morton, the neighbourhood relations manager at Sunderland City Council, believes ASBOs are an important tool.

She said: "They have had some bad press, but if we go back to the time before we had ASBOs the only tool we had was the potential to evict people.

"That simply moves the problem on. ASBOs are actually about addressing peoples' behaviour."

Sunderland is one of only 10 areas in the country to pilot a new idea aimed at beating anti-social behaviour.

Called 'Together', the project is to get �200,000 from the Home Office and involves new teams of police, council and voluntary agencies using ASBOs.

But criminologist Mr Presdee described ASBOs as "doomed to failure".

"What we need to do is spend the money on having a society where we know how to behave, where we are happy with our lot in society and we are kind and caring to others.

"[To achieve this] we have to feel like we fit."