• Home /
• Observatories /
• 2004-2010: ASBOwatch: monitoring the use of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders /
• Case studies /
• ASBOs used against children

ASBOs used against children

28 March 2012

Examples of ASBOs given to children.

Home Office guidelines for the Crime and Disorder Act stated that "ASBOs will be used mainly against adults" but in practice children are increasingly being targeted. Individuals as young as ten are criminalised for their nuisance behaviour and then "named and shamed" within their community, a stigma, at such an early age, that will not easily wear off. For those children whose behaviour really does call for state intervention ASBOs are often proving not to be an effective remedy. There are frequent media reports of orders being treated as little more than a badge of honour which would totally undermine their intended role as a deterrent. In total, 45 per cent of orders are made against juveniles of which 42 per cent are breached and which results, 46 per cent of the time, in immediate custody for its holder (Home Office press release). It is that around 50 children a month are being incarcerated under anti-social behaviour legislation. In August 2004 the government also announced plans to track and monitor all children who have a parent in prison (see Guardian "Government plans to 'track' criminals' children" 16/8/04). Already in its Children Bill, published on 4th March, the government has outlined the introduction of cradle to grave surveillance for children (See Statewatch analysis, April 2004).

Jacqueline Smith - Sentenced to three months in a child detention centre (May 2010)

Callum Trick - A 15-year-old boy banned from crossing his own street (April 2010)

South Shields boy - A 13-year-old boy given an ASBO banning him from riding his bike for two years, seeing four of his "best friends" and given a 9pm-7am curfew (March 2010) The ASBO was amended after a judge ruled that it infringed his human rights (March 2010) Update: In court again (August 2010)

Ethan Armstrong - The parents of an 11 year-old boy suspected of having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have defended their son after he was given an ASBO (Match 2010)

Aston Turvey - Given an ASBO and leaflets detailing its terms have been distributed to people in near him (February 2010) Charged with breaching the order (May 2010)

Ryan Irvine - Banned from entering a shopping centre and high street, going near a community college, and meeting with two of his friends (January 2010)

Swansea snowballers - Children in Swansea threatened with ASBOs for throwing snowballs (January 2010)

Kevin Lichottka - A 16-year-old banned from entering any car park, school ground or garden in England and Wales without an invitation (September 2009)

Catherine Emery - A 14-year-old given an order in an attempt to stop her drinking alcohol (July 2009)

Yousef Harwood - A 16-year-old given a four-month detention and training order for breaching his order by meeting with his friends (June 2009)

John Stone-parker - A 13-year-old banned from possessing or consuming alcohol in a public space and from riding motorcycles (May 2009)

Thomas Read - A 12-year-old threatened with an ASBO for riding his push-scooter on the pavement (May 2009)

Jack Lambeth - A 15-year-old banned from leaving his house between 9.30pm and 7am for two years (February 2009)

Stephen Donohue - This 13-year-old boy faces being sent to a youth detention facility if, among other things, he: causes or encourage others to cause harassment, alarm or distress to anyone in St Helens, lights fires except on Bonfire Night, is in possession of matches or lighters in a public place, throws objects at people or climbs on roofs (February 2009)

Anon - A 12-year-old boy given an order with multiple restrictions that include: socialising with a number of named individuals, consuming or possessing alcohol in public, spitting and swearing (January 2009)

Stephen Blowes - A 15-year-old boy given an order for persistently jumping over neighbours hedges and fences (May 2008)

Purnell Desouza - A 14-year-old boy given an order (December 2007)

Tamzin and Tiffany Nutley - 16-year-old twin sisters (one of which is pregnant) both given a ten-month detention and training order for breaching their orders (November 2007)

Jack Hudson - A 15-year-old given an order forbidding him from drinking alcohol (November 2007)

Luke Rawlings - A 12-year-old boy given an order (August 2007)

Patrick & Louis Cairney - Two brothers, aged nine and five, threatened with an order by police for disturbing their neighbours by playing outside their house. The minimum age at which a child can be given an ASBO is ten (July 2007)

Steven & Simon Smith - Two brothers banned from meeting in public (May 2007)

Lewis Green - A 10-year-old boy given an order (March 2007)

Keenan Skilling - A 12-year-old given an order which imposes an evening curfew for the next five years (March 2007)

Steven James Edwards - A 12-year-old with learning disabilities given an order (February 2007)

Swindon "baby asbos" - Swindon Council is considering giving baby asbos to two 9-year-old boys. These 12 month orders for children under 10 years of age were introduced last year (September 2006)

Carrie Anne Gardner - A 17-year-old banned from traveling on any train between Cardiff and Barry stations without an adult accompanying her (September 2006)

Jimmy Fitzgerald - A 17-year-old faces jail if found in the company of his elder brother at any point over the next two years. Both are already serving prison sentences for breaching their respective ASBOs (September 2006)

Daniel Osborn - A 17-year-old banned from entering subways (September 2006)

Christian Plucknett - A 16-year-old banned from traveling alone on the top deck of any bus in England and Wales (June 2006)

Charlie & Aaron Brown - Twin 12-year-old brothers banned from being together during school hours outside their family (April 2006)

Ashleene Gallagher - A 15-year-old girl given an ASBO for disrupting a memorial service in honour of the London terrorist attack victims (March 2006)

Anon - Police have applied for an ASBO against a 15-year-old boy after he was found stealing newts from a neighbour's pond (February 2006)

Gary Addy - A 16-year-old served an order forbidding him from going within 50 metres of any school or college in Newham without a headteacher's permission (October 2005)

Paul Daniels - A 14-year-old served an order than includes a 10pm-7am curfew and a ban from congregating anywhere in public with three or more people aged between 11 and 18 (September 2005)

Craig & Bobby Loveridge - Ten and 13 year old brothers both given ASBOs (September 2005) Their mother has since claimed that the ASBOs "ruined their lives" (January 2008)

Nathan Copping - A 15-year-old served a two year order who claims that he has been the victim of a vindictive campaign by one neighbour who has made a series of complaints to the police. Several neighbours came out in support of his stance, arguing that the order is unjust and serves little purpose. Cases such as these are particularly alarming if you consider how easy it is to apply for an order (July 2005)

Nicky East - A 14-year-old prohibited from wearing hooded tops with the hood up, or items which conceal his face, apart from when the weather is bad. No qualification of what constitutes "bad weather" is provided (July 2005)

Luke Dunlop - A 13-year-old persistent offender banned from wearing a hood or cap at night and given an 8.30pm-7am curfew (July 2005)

Mark Trippit - A 14-year-old banned from possessing, carrying or using any aerosol spray or permanent marker pen in a public place or open place in Surrey and from carrying matches, cigarette lighters or lighter accelerant in a public place (Source: Woking News and Mail, May 2005)

Joseph Newcombe - A four-year-old boy was threatened with an order after he threw his toy at the car of a council worker who was visiting his family's home. His mother claims that two days later the official returned and announced she wanted to give the child an ASBO. Tower Hamlets council has since made it clear it does not plan to impose an order which is understandable given the minimum age for a recipient is ten. This case is particularly alarming if indicative of the level of understanding and training the employees of relevant authorities receive given both the dramatic rise in the number of orders being issued and the fact that around 97% of applications are successful (March 2005)

Amasiah & Tobijah Thompson - 15 and 14-year-old brothers served an interim order banning them from entering a half-mile exclusion zone around Villa Park football stadium two hours before kickoff in response to their attempts at "car minding" (February 2005)

Ryan Wilkinson - A 10-year-old boy banned from four areas of Leeds and having any contact with 17 named youths for the next 5 years. He is also subject to a 7pm to 7.30am curfew unless accompanied by family members (February 2005)

Aaron Ellis - A 14-year-old with a string of convictions for minor offences served a two year order which bans, among other things, him from entering large areas of his home town, entering certain shops, carrying alcohol or being drunk, and intimidating or threatening anyone in Surrey. It also includes a 10pm to 6am curfew (February 2005)

Kyle Major - A 16-year-old who suffers from a severe form of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder served an order (January 2005)

Luke Davies - A 17-year-old forbidden from using the front door of his home until the age of 21 (January 2005)

Ben & Nathan Weeks - Ten-year-old twin brothers each served an order for misbehaving on their housing estate. Simply looking through the windows of other flats on their estate would constitute a breach (December 2004)

Adam Moore - A 17-year-old served an order primarily banning him from a large part of the town in which he lives, but which also prevents him from wearing a balaclava, scarf or any other item of clothing designed to conceal his face (December 2004)

Ben Norris - A 17-year-old sentenced to four months' youth detention after he broke his order in a 3am fracas with police at his home. However, his lawyer revealed that over the previous 14 months he had been charged with an offence on 19 separate occasions, none of which had resulted in a conviction. His lawyer claimed this to be "a pretty outrageous statistic" and that "he's been targeted and I am quite sure the conduct of the police was entirely unacceptable" (November 2004)

Dean Bell - A 15-year-old served an order for playing football in the street (October 2004)

Aneeze Williamson - An illiterate 11-year-old, who has been excluded from school since the age of seven and since collected a string of convictions, served an order with 13 legal clauses including a ban from every street on his estate bar his own, and an 8pm-7am curfew. The Times spent 3 days with the boy and his mother who claims to be desperate for "the right sort of help" (October 2004)

Jamie & Liam Bradford - Two brothers, aged 10 and 11, served an order banning them, among other things, from congregating in a group of more than two people, riding as a driver or passenger on a motorcycle, setting foot on any school premises unless attending a lesson and entering any domestic or commercial property without consent of the owner (October 2004)

"Press Road Gang" - Six members of the gang, who were banned from two estates in Neasden, recently lost their appeal against the serving of their orders. Three of the youths then took their case to the Court of Appeal where they argued that the act of "naming and shaming" breached their human rights. Lord Justice Kennedy rejected the case and called both for stricter time limits on ASBO cases and an end to the automatic right of appeal for people given an order. The Times claims that the Metropolitan Police has written to the Home Secretary and the Lord Chancellor asking them to enact the latter recommendation. (See also Guardian "Despair as gang fights Asbos in court" 20/7/04) (October 2004)

Aaron Blinkho - A 14-year-old named as one of Britain's youngest racists and served an order banning him from saying a racist word, breaking a 7pm to 7am curfew, gathering in public with more than two friends and entering certain areas near to where he lives (October 2004)

Ruell White - A ten-year-old given an order for threatening behaviour (July 2004)

James Thompson - Banned from riding or pushing a bike (June 2004)

Lere Akinwale - A 16-year-old boy banned from behaving in an anti-social manner at school. The five year order covers the whole of England and Wales and comes, in part, as a response to his disruption of a science class (May 2004)

Zach Tutin - The 13-year-old who was infamously served an order banning him from using the word "grass" anywhere in England or Wales for six years

Gareth Howell - A ten-year-old given a five-year order (July 2003)

Nathan Wadley - A 16-year-old banned from showing his tattoos, wearing a single golf glove, or wearing a balaclava in public, anywhere in the country. He is also forbidden from congregating in public places in groups of more than three people (February 2003)