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« Previous « Previous Next » Next » View Gallery Police are to be urged by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to crack down on a hard core of individuals who ignore warnings to stop their anti-social behaviour. Building on a scheme piloted in Essex, officers will be urged to give those who persistently make their neighbours' lives hell "a taste of their own medicine" by subjecting them to repeated visits, checks and warnings.

And their details could be sADVERTISEMENThared with other Government agencies, so that they can be targeted for extra checks on whether they have paid their road tax, car insurance, TV licence and council tax.

The new initiative comes as statistics are released which are expected to show a fall in the number of anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) issued by local authorities and police forces.

But the drop will be matched by a large increase in the number of "early intervention" procedures, which are designed to nip anti-social behaviour in the bud and avoid the need for an Asbo.

Home Office officials believe that the fall in the number of Asbos may be due to an increased readiness by local authorities, police and magistrates to use acceptable behaviour contracts, parenting orders and individual support orders to encourage improved behaviour.

Speaking in Westminster to an audience of professionals involved in tackling anti-social behaviour, Ms Smith will say that £250,000 is being put into an Action Squad to encourage areas with low take-up of early intervention measures to make more use of them.

Home Office figures suggest that two-thirds of people involved in anti-social behaviour - such as vandalism, threatening behaviour and street drinking - give it up after their first warning.

Ms Smith will say that this shows how powerful a tool early intervention can be.

But she will say that 7% of people persist in misbehaving even after three encounters with the authorities. And she will argue that the police should be ready to target them for tough attention.

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