ROOF Blog

Government figures obtained by the Conservatives show that there were 3.9 million cases of antisocial behaviour last year – or nearly 11,000 a day in England and Wales. The majority – 2.3 million cases – were reports of ‘rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour’, with 254,000 reports of nuisance neighbours. The Conservatives have said they would axe anti-social behaviour orders and introduce night time ‘grounding orders’ instead.

Early intervention resolves more than three-quarters of antisocial behaviour cases, whereas using anti-social behaviour orders resolved just 0.1 per cent of cases, according to research by Housemark. Top performing landlords also took just 45 days to resolve antisocial behaviour cases, compared with an average of 61 days.

Home secretary Alan Johnson has pledged to revive the use of antisocial behaviour orders (asbos) in the most extreme cases of intimidation and harassment. In a package of measures designed to turn around the 30 per cent drop in new orders issued, he promises to cut delays of up to two years in getting the courts to issue an asbo, make it easier for problems to be reported and provide more counselling support for victims. He admitted that the government had been ‘to a certain degree, complacent’ in recent years on this issue.

A consultation into the Town and Country Planning Act concerning homes in multiple occupancy (HMOs) was launched yesterday. The department for Communities and Local Government wants to identify ways of improving the problems occurring in areas with a high density of HMOs, such as antisocial behaviour and litter. The prospect of tighter legislation has not been well received.

Staying in Wales, a woman has been evicted from her private rented accommodation by a council after complaints of antisocial behaviour. Rhonnda Cynon Taf council said the case was the first premises closure order in Wales, and added that the local authority had taken action reluctantly due to ‘extreme circumstances’. Police had been called to the property 20 times since February.

More than 40 per cent of social tenants or their families have been hit by antisocial behaviour during the past two years, according to a YouGov poll. Council and housing association tenants are much more likely than private homeowners to suffer from antisocial behaviour, and more social tenants than owner occupiers believe that the level of behaviour has become worse in their area over the same period. Just 17 per cent of those questioned had confidence in their council or social landlord to tackle the problem, and almost two-thirds expect the problem to increase as a result of the downturn.

A parliamentary joint select committee on human rights has warned that an increasing number of vulnerable people could become homeless under the new Policing and Crime Bill. The Bill will introduce powers to close brothels and curb antisocial behaviour by giving police the power to direct a child as young as 10 to leave an area without talking into account their safety or where they will go. The committee says the proposals risk criminalising rather than protecting some of the most vulnerable members of society.

A man due to be evicted from his home is believed to have blown up his home yesterday. Donald Joyce who was being evicted for harassment, intimidation and filming neighbours has not been seen since three explosions destroyed his home near Cambridge.

And in the latest bid to remove antisocial young people from gathering on an estate, a pink light highlighting their spots has been installed. A spokesperson from the Layton Boroughs Resident’s Association in Mansfield, Notts, said they made the move in the hope of cutting antisocial behaviour in the estate by embarrassing the youths. The National Youth Agency said that anything that aims ‘to embarrass people out of an area is not on’.

New powers to close premises involved in persistent antisocial behaviour come into force today. Police and local authorities can now apply to magistrates’ courts to close privately owned, rented, commercial and local authority premises under an extension to the Premises Closure Order. Closing down a premises will only be used as a last resort, once the full range of appropriate antisocial behaviour interventions have been tried.