Rotherham's shocking toll of ASBO misery

AN MP has called for tougher action on nuisance behaviour after learning that South Yorkshire is one of the UK’s trouble hotspots.

Figures released by MP John Healey show the police force area has the second highest rate of incidents in England and Wales, behind only Greater Manchester.

Nearly 90,000 incidents were recorded by police in 2012, which is 65.7 per 1,000 residents, with the rate in Rotherham at 68.7 per cent. The average in England and Wales is 42 and in Yorkshire and the Humber 43.5.

Mr Healey said the Government should not scrap the ASBO and called for faster action against anti-social behaviour.

He said: “Anti-social behaviour is a serious problem and it can make peoples lives a misery.

“The Government's official crime survey has found more than eight out of 10 people think anti-social behaviour has got worse in the last year and nearly a third said they had personally been a victim of or witnessed yobbish behaviour.

“The Government is turning the clock back with their plans to scrap the ASBO and replace it with a weaker power which carries no criminal sanction for a breach.

“The Government’s ‘community trigger’ which demands a response if a person has complained three times just isn’t good enough.

“People have the right to expect action right away.”

Mr Healey has written to South Yorkshire’'s Chief Constable David Crompton and Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright asking what the force is doing to tackle anti-social behaviour.

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