EIGHT local teenagers have been banned from Ilkley town centre because of their anti-social behaviour, police have revealed.

And criminals are staying away from the town because of other anti-theft initiatives.

Ilkley neighbourhood policing officer Mark Newton has revealed that the eight have been served with anti-social behaviour orders, banning them from Ilkley. He said that the orders were part of Ilkley police's crackdown on anti-social behaviour and other problems in the area using the strategy of neighbourhood policing.

PC Newton said: "As well as talking to people on the streets, I regularly attend meetings with representatives from Ilkley Parish Council, Ilkley Civic Society, Neighbourhood Watch schemes, Bradford Housing Trust and local schools.

"Any local problems can be identified and a multi-agency approach taken to tackling them. At each subsequent meeting we report back as to what we have done in respect of each problem."

PC Newton has also got involved with local licensees and traders through Ilkley Business Watch and Ilkley Pub Watch schemes.

More than 20 town centre stores are in direct radio link with one another and the police. Known criminals are identified and their presence in one shop is reported to others so the owners can be alerted.

"This has resulted in a number of arrests. Word would appear to have gone round, and such people now tend to avoid the area," said PC Newton.

Ilkley Pub Watch involves ten town centre licensees who meet police once a month to discuss problems such as drink related disorder and the use of controlled drugs on their premises.

PC Newton said that people behaving badly will be banned from all the pubs in the scheme and suffer the additional shame of having their names on public display. The police will supply licensees with photographs of banned people so they can be identified and kept out of premises.

Under the scheme two people have already been told to keep out of town centre bars which belong to the scheme.

"We will also deal with the problem of under-age drinking, and more people may be asked for proof of age before entering licensed premises. Anybody producing fake or forged documents is liable to arrest and prosecution," said PC Newton.

Police have been busy this week putting up Pub Watch and Business Watch posters around the town to made customers aware that the anti-crime schemes are in operation.

And PC Newton warned that police were willing to crackdown on other forms of anti-social behaviour from otherwise law abiding citizens in Ilkley.

He said he was working with other groups in the town to find a long-term solution to the chronic parking problems in Ilkley.

PC Newton said: "There is, however, no excuse for indiscriminate and dangerous parking as a result of selfishness or laziness on the part of the driver.

"Double yellow lines are there for a reason, and I have issued a number of £30 fixed penalty tickets. I would say, before you complain, accept that it was your decision to flout the law, and as such cause an obstruction or danger to pedestrians or other road users.

"You would be the first to complain if your car was involved in an accident, or your child knocked over because someone else's car was parked where it shouldn't be."

According to the police, Neighbourhood Policing is primarily about providing a visible, accessible and familiar police presence in Ilkley.