The mother of an 11-year-old boy named and shamed for his anti-social behaviour has spoken for the first time about the treatment of her son by the courts.

Benny Griffiths, from Chirk near Wrexham, is one of more than a dozen youngsters currently on anti-social behaviour orders in Wales.

Mother Tracy Griffiths has no control

However, he is among only a handful who have lost their anonymity.

In Tuesday's Week In Week Out programme on BBC Wales, Tracey Griffiths claims the courts have shown "no interest" in the effect the order has had on her family.

"I don't really think the government or the police have sat down and thought long and hard about the anti-social behaviour order," she said.

"I've had no reports from the courts, or updates. They don't want to know is everything alright."

"They are just not interested. The only time they are going to be interested is if Ben breaks it."

Her son has severe behavioural problems and was recently diagnosed as suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

I'm afraid of him really hurting someone badly or even killing them

Tracy Griffiths

Sufferers are hyperactive and have short attention spans.

Tracy tells Week In Week Out about the serious effects this has on her family.

"He'll throw things. He'll break things. He tried to stab me. He split my lip. He punches me. He kicks me. He threatens to smash up the house. He goes after his brother and sister with knives," she said.

"It's really scary, you have to see it but he has got this other side to him."

Benny is currently on medication, which Tracy says is "the only thing that has made a slight difference."

She is worried that without further help the future will be bleak for her son.

"In my view with him being as violent as he is, I'm afraid of him really hurting someone badly or even killing them," she said.

Serious problems

Police across Wales have been clamping down on anti-social behaviour among youngsters.

Problems range from swearing in the streets to more serious problems like criminal damage.

Residents of Seven Sisters in the Dulais Valley recently went on a high profile walkabout of the village's Bryn Bedd estate.

They identified a handful of youths between ten and 15 who were causing trouble.

The youngsters have now been placed on Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs), which are the first step on the judicial ladder before an Anti-Social Behaviour Order.

If the contracts are broken they can be brought before the court and even face eviction.

Chief Inspector Martyn Jones, of South Wales Police said: "It's about challenging behaviour which individually isn't so great. But when you bring it together it can cause very great annoyance to people living in the localities."

Boredom

Since ABCs were introduced, calls over anti-social behaviour in the area have fallen from 25 to 30 a month to between five and nine a month.

Janet Gilley, whose sons Matthew and John are both on the contracts, thinks their misbehaviour was caused by boredom.

"It wouldn't have come to this if they had something around here to do, to keep them occupied and off the streets," she said.