Following the banning of an 11-year-old boy from 80 streets in his home town of Wolverhampton, BBC News Online asks if anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) are working. West Midlands police have trumpeted the effectiveness of ASBOs after their tough action against neighbourhood nuisance Lukon Straker hit the national headlines.

If the 11-year-old enters any of the named streets within the Low Hill area of the town, he faces five years in prison.

Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Bullas, of West Midlands police, told BBC Radio Five Live: "We've got a very positive experience as a force with ASBOs and they've worked very well.

"We have a dedicated crime team for this particular neighbourhood and we will have the resources to deal with any breaches."

He said an order was only used after other measures had been tried, such as work with youth offending teams, schools and social services.

Camden borough in north London has some of the capital's most deprived areas.

Lukon Straker has a four-year ban

Five ASBOs have been given to youths there, with five more in the pipeline.

Ian Walker, co-ordinator of the council's anti-social behaviour action group, told BBC News Online they had been well received.

He said: "The community likes them and wants the protection of them.

"Before, the police had no real tool to address the problems - the ASBO is the tool."

Ban on friendships

The offences generally range from the "sub-criminal" such as swearing at police, to the serious, like assault or racial harassment.

A first warning takes the form of an "acceptable behaviour contract", which is signed by the youth, his parents and police, and is not enforced by legislation.

Camden's five ASBOs entailed restricting access to certain parts of estates, a ban on associating with certain other people and a general good behaviour clause.

One of the recipients has left the borough, two have behaved themselves, one is involved in minor offences and the other in serious crime.

At the more serious end of anti-social behaviour, there's only one way I can deal with that and it's to go in and deal with it in the toughest way possible Chief Superintendent Andy Rennison West Yorkshire Police

Mr Walker said the police and housing officers identified and monitored the troublemakers, helped by witnesses and CCTV.

But in other parts of the country, there are doubts about how well the orders can be enforced.

Five Live reporter Christian Fraser has been spending a week living in East End Park, Leeds.

He said the area suffered nightly from vandalism and rowdy behaviour, ranging from youngsters kicking a football against a car to more serious offences such as smashing windows and throwing petrol bombs.

Progress

Magistrates have issued at least 20 ASBOs in the past fortnight, but he said the perception is that police were fighting a losing battle.

Some of those subject to the orders were ignoring them without punishment, he found.

One resident said: "The staff at the school know these children and work very hard to make them mend their ways.

"But they need the help of the parents and some parents will not provide that help, so what chance have the teachers?"

Disruptive behaviour can be too minor for prosecution

But police believe they are making progress.

Chief Superintendent Andy Rennison, commander for that part of Leeds, said his team applied an iron fist in a velvet glove.

He said: "At the more serious end of anti-social behaviour, there's only one way I can deal with that and it's to go in and deal with it in the toughest way possible.

"The velvet glove is knocking on all the doors of the residents down there and saying 'If you have got something to tell us, please tell us.

"'If you haven't, don't worry, we'll gather the evidence."