MALVERN Hills District Council is taking on the power to ban young people from designated exclusion zones.

This follows worries about an increase in anti-social behaviour in the area.

Under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, councils can take on the power to create exclusion zones, from which police can remove groups of people aged under 16.

The council's executive committee, which met on Tuesday, is recommending that the full council approves the move when it meets in January.

Once it is in place, the council will have the power to name exclusion zones at the request of the police.

Once the zones have been named, police will be able to order groups of under-16s to disperse and go home.

Council leader Tom Wells said: "It's something that does not just affect the town areas you would expect, but the rural villages as well.

"In my own area of Powick and Callow End, there is now a problem with young people hanging around and committing offences such breaking car headlights, damaging lampposts and so on.

"This is a problem that has increased from virtually nothing to quite high up the scale in recent months."

Coun John Raine said the council should also be looking at providing facilities so that young people did not have to gather on street corners.

Last week, police announced a crackdown on rowdy youths in Malvern Link.