Plans to scrap Asbos and bring in five new measures to tackle yobbish behaviour has been slammed as a “pointless rebranding exercise.”

Home Secretary Theresa May believes Asbos do not work and instead believes police and local authorities should have a ‘toolkit’ to deal with anti-social behaviour instead of one method.

Under plans now out for consultation, five measures would replace the Asbo, including the ‘community trigger’, which would mean councils are forced to take action if several people in the same neighbourhood complain or if one victim complains three times with no action being taken.

In addition, Criminal Behaviour Orders would be attached to a criminal conviction banning people from going to certain places and putting requirements such as attending a drug clinic on them.

A breach could see up to five years in prison.

A Crime Prevention Injunction is aimed at stopping anti-social behaviour before it escalates. In addition police could strip offenders of prized possessions such as iPods.

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh said: “The Tories did not like Asbos when they were introduced but when I have spoken to West Yorkshire Police about this I have always got the impression they were in favour of them and have used them successfully.

“I think Government has now found they are good but because they said they would scarp them have come up with a more complicated way of doing it with a different name.”

  • Read the full story in Tuesday’s T&A