Too many of our communities are having to put up with the sort of thuggish and loutish behaviour which we report on our front page today.

Roman Arlauskas, who is just 18, subjected residents and businesses in Manningham to a two-year catalogue of abusive, intimidating and completely unacceptable behaviour. The question that has to be asked is do our courts have sufficient powers to deal with yobs like this who make far too many people’s lives a misery?

It seems somewhat inadequate for offenders who effectively terrorise a community to be just banned from certain areas. Is this a strong enough remedy? What is to stop those subjected to such orders from going elsewhere and carrying on their loutish behaviour?

There are levels of anti-social behaviour which legislation has struggled to deal with which is why ASBOs were created in the first place.

Perhaps there needs to be a change in the burden of proof required so more serious criminal charges can be brought and more serious punishment meted out.

There is a thin line between behaving anti-socially and actually committing acts that leave people in a specific area living in fear. Incidents which, in themselves, may not qualify as criminal acts can nonethless be devastating to those who are on the receiving end of persistent yobbism. Should there not be a point where the cumulative impact of a pattern of bad behaviour in itself becomes regarded as criminal?

Is the ASBO a powerful enough weapon to deal with it? The answer would seem to be not, so very careful consideration needs to be given to bringing in a more powerful tool within the law – an offence of “terrorising a community” perhaps? – to protect ordinary, peace-loving people from those who seek to strangle the life out of their day-to-day existence.