'Let's hope it's the start of a new era'

Police are using new anti-social behaviour laws for the first time in the district which allows them to impose curfews and exclusion zones on young hooligans, to curb criminal damage and nuisance.

The use of the legislation came into force in Allerton this week and will be trialled until December. It allows officers to disperse groups of people who could intimidate or harass residents, order someone out of the area for 24 hours and take youngsters home between 9pm and 6am.

Police have promised to exercise the powers with restraint and sensitivity.

Most residents have welcomed the bold new tactics to improve the estate.

But some criticised police calls for the community to help them and accused them of not backing neighbourhood watch schemes.

Former Neighbourhood watch co-ordinator Sydney Shawmarsh said when the schemes were running three or four years ago the police co-ordinator "did not want to know." "We saw her once and told her our problems and we never saw anything of her again," said Mr Shawmarsh, 65. "Nothing has changed in the last four years. We still have the same problems."

But Superintendent Nigel Hibbert, of Bradford North Police, said they were keen to set up neighbourhood watch schemes on the estate. "There isn't one in place at the moment and I am disappointed about that," he said. "I was even more disappointed there was a perception that the police weren't keen on supporting such schemes. I am right behind the idea.

"I have tasked a sergeant to immediately throw some energy into establishing and supporting a neighbourhood watch scheme, or a series of them, depending on the size of the area that needed covering.

"It is one of my top priorities and we have Police Community Support Officers in place to spend time on the ground with co-ordinators of Neighbour-hood Watch. If people have concerns like this we want to meet them face to face and I would like them to come forward so we can arrange a meeting."

Meanwhile, new tenants are to move into the "tinned up" houses on the estate in a further bid to boost the area.

The Council has revealed it hopes to move in new families at the same time to fill up the empty boarded-up houses and restore community pride.

Residents backed the use of the new anti-social behaviour laws.

Maureen Myers, 50, who has lived in Allerton for 14 years, said: "I hope this is the start of a whole new era. Everybody has problems where they live from time to time but they should not be a permanent part of life. Neighbours here are nice. People will wait to come and live here because it is a nice estate, but it is a small part which lets the whole area down."

Charlene Byrne, 16, welcomed the moves - even though she admits she was a problem herself. "I have been put on probation for criminal damage but you grow out of it and realise you're not being very nice and you're not being nice to all the people who live here," she said. "I grew up here and it is good to see something being done. They start at about 12 and carry on. But it is because there is nothing to do. I know because I used to do it myself.

"But we want it to be nicer for the new children here and this is the way forward."

Councillor Val Binney (Con, Thornton and Allerton) had removed an empty methadone bottle, beer cans and takeaway trays during an Action Day clean-up around some of the empty houses.

She said: "This cannot be just for one day. I can remember when it was lovely - and that is not long ago.

"There are still a lot of nice people and it is a nice community. It is a minority but we have got to the stage where we have to make a stand and tell them we are not accepting this behaviour anymore."

Gran Susan Jeffrey, 51, lives nearby and was minding her grandson Jacob, aged one, for her daughter who has just moved on to Allerton Grange Drive.

She welcomed the decision to target the estate. "This is a very good move," she said. "A lot of older people feel intimidated by the gangs of youths."