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Corby 'tops' Asbo watchdog report Corby tops 'yob map' of England
(about 4 hours later)
A Northamptonshire town has topped a survey of residents' perceptions of anti-social behaviour and breaches of orders designed to tackle the problem. The Northamptonshire town of Corby has been named the "yob" capital of England in a spending watchdog report.
A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed nearly 55% of Asbos are breached by offenders. The National Audit Office used official figures to assess residents' perceptions of anti-social behaviour.
Home Office data showed 48.8% of adults in Corby believed anti-social behaviour was a big or fairly big problem. Analysis of the data suggested 48.8% of adults in Corby believed bad behaviour was a problem.
The Asbos were either breached by offenders committing more offences or by breaking the terms of the order. The study also suggests 17% of the population across England thought there were high levels of anti-social behaviour in general.
As part of its report The Home Office: Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour, the National Audit Office (NAO) said the percentage of people who believed anti-social behaviour was a problem had risen from 16% two years ago.
The worst 10 towns and cities Corby 48.8Mansfield 44.4Hackney 42.7Nottingham 42.7Luton 42.7Slough 42.0Ashfield (Notts) 41.2Knowsley (Merseyside) 39.2Middlesbrough 39.3Easington (Durham) 38.9 Percentage of adults who think anti-social behaviour is a problem
The survey of all English local authorities suggested almost one in two people believed so-called "yobbish" behaviour was a big or fairly big problem in Corby.
Bristol was named as the place with the fewest perceived anti-social problems with only 5.7% of residents describing it as a big or fairly big issue.
In second-best place was Staffordshire Moorlands, the area around Leek.
Mansfield in Nottinghamshire was second worst with 44.4%, then Hackney in east London and Nottingham, both with 42.7%.Mansfield in Nottinghamshire was second worst with 44.4%, then Hackney in east London and Nottingham, both with 42.7%.
The best 10 Bristol 5.7Staffordshire Moorlands 6.0Basingstoke and Deane 7.4Wolverhampton 7.5Leeds 8.9Winchester 9.6Sevenoaks 9.9City of London 10.2Richmond upon Thames 10.6Blaby 10.8
Luton - the Bedfordshire town voted the worst in Britain in an online poll two years ago - came fourth with 42%.Luton - the Bedfordshire town voted the worst in Britain in an online poll two years ago - came fourth with 42%.
'Tough talk' The report also suggested about 55% of anti-social behaviour orders had been breached.
The study highlights a "hard core" of anti-social thugs against whom attempts to stop their bad behaviour had little or no effect. The Asbos were either breached by offenders committing more offences or by breaking the terms of the order.
Home Office Minister Tony McNulty insisted breaches of the orders were not a sign of failure, while the Conservatives accused Labour of "talking tough but acting soft". The NAO said 35% of Asbo holders breached the order on five or more occasions, but the average number was four per person.
They could be a real weapon against crime if they were properly enforced David Davis, shadow home secretary The government said the findings did not mean Asbos were failing.
Official Asbo breach rates are due to be published by the Home Office on Thursday.
The NAO's survey of all English local authorities named Bristol as the place with the fewest perceived anti-social problems with only 5.7% of residents describing it as a big or fairly big issue.
In second-best place was Staffordshire Moorlands, the district council centred on Leek.
The data was based on "best value performance indicators" for 2003-04 which are collected by the Home Office but not gathered in this format, an NAO spokesman said.
Chairman of the Commons' all-party Public Accounts Committee, Lincolnshire MP Edward Leigh, said: "Instead of being startled into bringing their behaviour into check, too often offenders respond to an Asbo by sneering at the authorities."
Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "They (asbos) could be a real weapon against crime if they were properly enforced but these figures show that is not the case.
"Over half of them are being breached with over a third being breached on a serial basis.
"Yet again we see Labour talk tough, but act soft."
But Mr McNulty said: "Where breaches are reported it means that individuals are being monitored, that communities feel confident enough to report them."