POLICE and council bosses have issued special behaviour contracts against young people in a Suffolk town in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour.Suffolk Coastal District Council and Felixstowe police handed out Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) following a series of complaints about nuisance behaviour in Trimley.

By Danielle Nuttall

POLICE and council bosses have issued special behaviour contracts against young people in a Suffolk town in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour.

Suffolk Coastal District Council and Felixstowe police handed out Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) following a series of complaints about nuisance behaviour in Trimley.

The scheme involves the signing of a written contract that spells out exactly what type of behaviour the person receiving them must not do.

They also warn the recipient what action could be taken if the contract is not met including injunctions, Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) and criminal prosecutions.

So far in its campaign against nuisance youths, both the council and Suffolk police has obtained an Anti Social Behaviour Order on an offender who cannot be named for legal reasons.

And over the weekend police issued a total of four ABCs on other youths who had been involved in similar behaviour.

Ian Abery, Suffolk Coastal District Council's anti-social behaviour officer, said: "The community itself has been complaining about the behaviour of groups of youths congregating in the streets and drunken youths.

"We have been trying to address the problems through multi-agency meetings. We were successful in getting a prosecution of one of the youths in the form of an ASBO. Other youths have been identified and involved in anti-social behaviour

"I have been in-post for Suffolk Coastal since June 27 and we have issued about 28 to 30 ABCs with a 90% success rate.

"It's ideal because we are telling people what behaviour is affecting the community but not giving them a criminal record. It's had an effect already."

Suffolk Coastal is determined to use ASBOs when necessary to help parts of the community blighted by the problems caused by groups of troublemakers.

Anyone who would like to report a problem of anti-social behaviour should first report it to the police.

For serious incidents, dial 999.

If there has been a pattern or regular problems with anti-social behaviour then call Mr Abery on 01394 444763 or by e-mail at ian.abery@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.