Although this person is now back in court, he did not commit a further offence in the original area

Youth worker Darren Johnson

The Wrexham teenager appeared before a youth court with his younger brother on a joint charge of damaging a fence.

In his defence, his solicitor said both the boys had been provoked and the criminal damage had come about because their family was being harassed.

Since January last year, the boy has appeared in court four times on charges of theft, assault and criminal damage.

He was made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order on 13 July last year.

The anti-social behaviour order was brought in by Home Secretary Jack Straw under the Crime and Disorder Act.

Under the law, magistrates must be convinced the person has caused harassment, distress or alarm

Law introduced: The Home Office brought in new powers

The boy was told he must not cause damage in Wrexham and that he must not use behaviour likely to cause harassment or alarm.

The teenager also cannot enter an exclusion zone placed round some local shops.

He pleaded guilty to the criminal damage

The presiding magistrate asked for the county's youth offending team to produce a report on the possiblity of a sentence which included detention and training.

The boy must return to the court at the end of the month for sentencing.

Darren Johnson, head of the north east Wales Youth Offending Team, said the order had worked in one sense.

Adult order

"Although this person is now back in court, he did not commit a further offence in the original area," he said.

In September last year, a 23-year-old man became the first adult in Wales to receive an anti-social behaviour order.

Police asked magistrates to place the order on Matthew Davies after 36 complaints were made against him by residents in a south Wales village.

Davies was among a group of trouble-makers who regularly gathered at the village green in Glyncorrwg near Port Talbot for all-day drinking sessions.