Yobs face £80 instant fines

Hooligans, vandals, litter louts, nuisance neighbours and beggars are targeted in a drive against yob culture unveiled today by ministers.

Instant fines of between £40 and £80 will be imposed for offences including dropping litter, acting in a yobbish and threatening way, urinating in a public place and throwing fireworks. Police will gain new powers to shut crack dens.

Teenagers as young as 16 will be hit with fixed penalty notices and fines could be extended to children as young as 10, with parents forced to pay.

There were reports the most badly-behaved children could be taken from their families and put in a new kind of foster home, in a radical attempt to let them grow up in a more stable environment. The proposal met instant opposition from children's charities.

The measures come after numerous high-profile cases of yobbery, such that of the Brown brothers who terrorised the Stone district of Dartford, Kent, over five years. Last November Darren Brown, 14, and Daniel, 15, were served the first-ever anti-social behaviour orders with no set time limit, threatening them with jail if they misbehave within a four-square mile zone, until the order is lifted.

Home Secretary David Blunkett, who is unveiling the White Paper, Winning Back Our Communities, conceded many people still feel vulnerable despite Government claims that crime has fallen. He said: "For too long some of our public services have shrugged their shoulders at this low-level thuggery and said it's somebody else's responsibility. It's not - we all need to play a part in tackling this scourge."

A Bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament within weeks.

Councils will gain fresh powers to fine noisy neighbours and close down pubs and clubs which shatter the peace. Persistently being noisy at night will attract a £100 fine.

Parents of unruly youngsters will have to sign contracts promising to attend parenting classes, and send their children to school. Begging will be a recordable offence for the first time.

After three convictions, courts could impose a community penalty such as drug treatment or work projects. Failure to attend these could lead to jail. A leaked draft of the White Paper stated: "There is no need for anyone to beg in this country."

Magistrates will be able to order the sealing of a crack den within 48 hours for three months. And "accredited persons" - not just police or new-style community support officers - could be
able to level fines. Last year ministers proposed council staff, such as park keepers, should be able to hand out fines.

The White Paper is thought to be one of New Labour's most authoritarian packages and is likely to spark opposition among the party's backbenchers and peers.