Curfew boy, 15, in court battle for night out

A 15-year-old boy today demanded the right to go to the cinema at night without fearing police may arrest him under "curfew" powers.

In a landmark High Court hearing the teenager is trying to overthrow the Government's legislation designed to tackle anti-social "yobs".

Under the controversial scheme officers can remove children under 16 from designated zones after 9pm.

The teenager, described as a model student, said he resented the powers which discriminated against honest, law-abiding children.

He said the law invaded his freedom to go to public places such as shopping centres and the cinema - or even to walk his dog at night.

The laws were so " indiscriminate" that a child could be removed from a curfew zone for helping an elderly person across the road, lawyers argued.

Javan Herberg, representing the boy, known as "W" for legal reasons, said: "The clear message sent from these powers is that if you are under 16 you must not be allowed out after 9pm."

The teenager is challenging two zones in Richmond and Ham under the European Convention on Human Rights. He said the zones near his Richmond home made him " uncomfortable" on his own street.

The continuing hearing, before Lord Justice Brooke and Mr Justice Mitting, will act as a test case for more than 400 dispersal areas in England and Wales.

The case came as the Met revealed a 26 per cent increase in street robbery last month.