Home Office: New laws

"It means we have improved the quality of life for the people of Wrexham," he said.

"It now gives us a power to prevent people committing anti-social behaviour which wasn't in the armoury before."

The move follows what North Wales Police described as a catalogue of misbehaviour over the last six months.

Magistrates heard how the teenager caused "alarming" distress to residents and shopkeepers on the town's Caia Park estate.

Last resort

They were shown video footage of the teenager assaulting a pensioner, Neville Jones, by throwing a pole at him.

Mr Jones' wife, Sylvia, said they got the camera after calls to the police failed to stop the problem.

"It's more peaceful now as the children know they're being watched," she said.

The orders allow courts to ban troublemakers from certain areas and also to impose curfews.

Wrexham police have been running a pilot scheme for the past six months to crack down on nuisance teenagers.

They say that more than 20% of calls they receive are complaints about juveniles and since the pilot scheme was launched they have taken details of more than 700 youngsters.

The boy could face severe penalties if he were to break any of the terms of the order including, as a last resort, being taken away from his home and family.