ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour will no longer be tolerated in Craven, the police have warned.

North Yorkshire Police has joined forces with Craven District Council and Craven Housing to try to solve problems caused by anti-social behaviour and, in particular, the ways in which anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) can be used.

The agreement comes a week after a Government initiative to clamp down on louts and nuisances and criticism of local authorities accused of not using the powers offered to them by an anti-social behaviour orders.

Insp Tad Nowakowski, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "This is further evidence of the positive steps being taken to improve our community's quality of life.

"I will have no hesitation in using this option in deterring antisocial behaviour."

An application for an ASBO can be made to the magistrates' Court if it appears that a person has acted in an anti-social manner to one or more persons not of the same household as himself.

An order can imposed on anyone over the age of 10.

Anti-social behaviour is defined as behaviour that causes or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

It is a wide definition which will include certain kinds of behaviour which would not necessarily constitute a criminal act.

If an order is made it can, for example, prohibit drinking in the street, swearing or playing loud music or exclude a person from a particular area, such as a town centre.

Orders could also be used to prohibit someone from harassing particular individuals.

If broken, magistrates can then impose detention orders. They have also been used to ban individuals from certain areas, such as town centres, or streets where they have been a nuisance.

Courts have also been encouraged to lift restrictions on newspapers reporting the names of juveniles who have been made the subject of an order.