Police in Bradford are preparing to use new powers which will allow them to ban unruly youngsters from the streets.

Officers have been given the go-ahead to impose curfews and exclusion zones on young hooligans.

The drastic measure will be used as a last resort when all other measures to tackle problems of anti social behaviour have been exhausted.

The moves come as Home Secretary David Blunkett was preparing to announce new measures to tackle the country's most persistent criminals as part of a five-year plan to cut the amount of crime in the country.

Preparations for curfews have already been drawn up and Bradford's Undercliffe estate came close to being the first area in which they were implemented. Residents and councillors on the estate said they would welcome the powers being invoked because certain areas in Undercliffe were "no-go areas".

Under the new Anti-Social Behaviour Act, police and Community Support Officers have the power to separate and move on any group of two or more people they feel are likely to cause intimidation, alarm, distress or harassment. If they refuse they can be arrested.

The Act also allows police and local authorities to order someone out of a designated zone for 24 hours and enables officers to take home any youngster under the age of 16 not in the company of a parent or responsible adult between 9pm and 6am.

Police at Bradford North considered using the powers in Undercliffe after receiving a flood of complaints from residents about groups of youths gathering on the streets, acting in an anti-social manner and damaging property.

They have now dropped the immediate plans, but police in the division have been given approval to use the legislation if necessary. Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Tim Grove, said exclusion zones or curfews would only be used as a last resort.

He said: "We have been given approval to use them, with national guidelines which say we should utilise other means and ensure we have done as much as we can before implementing these elements of the legislation.

"But we would explore all other measures first and only use the legislation if nothing else has worked."

Community Safety Sergeant for Bradford North Police, Paul Hepworth, said decent children would have nothing to fear from the legislation.

He added: "Youngsters who jump through people's hedges, damage gardens and break into sheds and steal things have lots to fear.

"We are not frightened of using the legislation, it is about decent people getting on with their lives without anti-social behaviour."

But Undercliffe representative Councillor Mukhtar Ali (Bowling and Barkerend, Lib Dem) said the actions of a few youngsters could cause hell for other residents.

He said in Newlands Place and Hustler Street tenants had been forced out of their flats by youths smashing windows, hurling abuse, breaking into the flats and setting fire to them.

Coun Ali added that the Greenway, a walkway on the estate, has become a "no go area" because of youths racing on it with cars and motorbikes, setting fire to cars, dealing and pushing drugs and shouting abuse.

The surrounding houses and flats are occupied by elderly people and young families.

Coun Ali said: "The people who are carrying out illegal, undesirable and anti-social activities should be banned from here so other people can use the area and have a pleasant life."

Resident Pauline Baldev said she also supported the curfew idea.

"There is a lot of nuisance around here caused by the young ones. It is not people from this area, it is people from other areas that come here to congregate. They are intimidating and people are afraid to walk past them," she said.