THE battle against antisocial behaviour looks like it is finally being won in an area of Redditch where a no-nonsense approach is reaping benefits for both residents and police.

A team of dedicated police officers who cover Church Hill, Matchborough and Winyates are spearheading the way against nuisance behaviour.

So far, eight Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) have been issued to troublemakers in the area and 26 not so stringent Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) have been handed out.

An ASBO tells individuals they must behave and adhere to strict rules, which can include not entering certain areas.

If they don't, they will be arrested and punished - as three of the eight ASBO recipients who have landed themselves behind bars have discovered.

The north east sector, led by Sgt Neil Billingham, has been successful in seeing the youngest boy in the country, the first girl in Worcestershire and the first husband and wife to be given ASBOs.

Sgt Billingham said: "We were getting up to 30 phone calls a month about each individual but after they were given ASBOs the calls reduced to one or less a month."

Sgt Billingham added: "These things do not happen overnight - it can take months to finally get an ASBO in place.

"First of all, we have to identify the individual that residents are having persistent problems with. Then we start the process of statement taking.

"We can have up to 70 statements for one individual. We may also arrange public meetings.

"After we have gathered about 200 pages of evidence, we then draft in our legal team to review it and we serve a warning to the individual.

"We tell them we are looking at them and if they don't cease their behaviour they will be given an ASBO.

"But, as in the case of eight individuals so far, if those people fail to behave, they will be issued with a summons to attend court where they will be given an ASBO which can be in place for a minimum period of two years to life."

Beat manager Pc Dave Wilkins said: "ASBOs are an excellent and effective way of stopping trouble and the sector has received very positive feedback from residents after each one of the ASBOs had been issued."

Pc Wilkins said witnesses were allowed anonymity and the flexibility of ASBOs meant restrictions could be put on an individual banning them from entering certain places.

He explained: "It means residents can be assured if an individual with an ASBO comes anywhere near their homes and they are not supposed to, they will be arrested."

ASBOs are given to people who continually affect the quality of life for residents through their antisocial behaviour but these troublemakers do not actually commit crime.

Sector officer Pc Adrian Smith said: "We call it sub-criminal behaviour, which means we may not be able to arrest them for it.

"But if they are given an ASBO and they breach it, they will then have committed a criminal offence and will be arrested. Breaches of an ASBO will result with a term in prison or a young offenders' institute."

Pc Smith said many of the people who had been given ASBOs saw it as a lifeline and a chance to grow up and act like civilised human beings.

He said: "These ASBOs do work and if people are having problems with certain individuals I would urge them to contact us. People's statements are vital to getting an ASBO in place.

"We're currently looking at a number of certain individuals in the sector who could find themselves with an ASBO if they don't behave."