A prolific 13-year-old criminal could today become the youngest person to be made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order in Bradford.

Council and police chiefs were going to court to seek an interim ASBO in a bid to control the behaviour of the teenager who became the most wanted offender on a burglary squad's hit list.

Bradford Council and Bradford South Police have teamed up to take tough action to curb the criminal activities of the youngster who has not been identified.

Police described the boy as a "prolific and persistent offender" who has previous convictions for assault, burglary, robbery, criminal damage and theft. They revealed that at one stage the teenager was the number one tar-get in the burglary team's 'Top Ten Most Wanted' list.

The Council's anti-social behaviour team was today asking Bradford magistrates to impose the interim order on the boy, with the support of the police. A police spokesman said that if magistrates granted the order the boy would become the youngest person to be subject to an interim ASBO in the Bradford district.

The spokesman said the order would subject the boy to a number of stringent conditions if it was granted, including a night-time curfew.

The curfew would ban him from being in a public place every day between 9pm and 7am without reasonable excuse.

A further 12 conditions were being asked to be imposed, including banning the boy from having any contact in public with ten named associates.

A spokesman for the Council said: "The Council, in conjunction with the police, is seeking an interim anti-social behaviour order against a 13-year-old youth because of his continued misbehaviour.

"We cannot comment any further at this stage as this is only for an interim order, but an application for a full anti-social behaviour order will be made in due course."

The youngest person so far to have a full ASBO imposed on them in the Bradford South Police division was a 14-year-old boy last December.

There are 16 full anti-social behaviour orders in place and five interim ASBOs in the Bradford South area.

Detective Inspector John Armitage, of Bradford South Police, said: "The police and Bradford Council work closely together to ensure action is taken against those who cause misery to law-abiding people living in this city.

"We take full advantage of anti-social behaviour orders to improve the quality of life in our local communities.

"Everyone has the right to live quietly and peacefully without being disrupted by others."