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| No plan to ban 'anti-teen' device | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| There are no plans in England to ban the use of devices which emit a high-pitched sound to disperse groups of teenagers, the government has said. | |
| But it stressed the Mosquito devices, which can cause discomfort to youngsters' ears, should be "a last resort" against anti-social behaviour. | |
| The children's commissioner and other critics want a ban, saying the gadget is indiscriminate in who it targets. | |
| Some stores say the devices can be useful against anti-social youths. | |
| In a statement issued after the calls for a ban, the government said: "'Mosquito alarms' are not banned and the government has no plans to do so. | |
| "Obviously no-one would want to have to use a device like this, and it should very much be seen as a last resort. | |
| "We will continue to tackle the underlying problems through better neighbourhood policing, giving young people alternative things to do in their spare time and, where necessary, using the powers we have put in place to prevent anti-social behaviour." | |
| The device has proved popular with councils wanting to tackle nuisance problems but the children's commissioner for England said using Mosquitoes to disperse gangs was a breach of children's human rights. |