New civil injunctions dubbed "gang injunctions" are to come into effect next month. Their enforcement will stop those suspected of being related to gang culture from entering certain geographical areas, being in public with animals that are used as weapons, from wearing certain "gang colours" in public or entering a mentoring programme.
But young people’s charity Rathbone has said the injunctions are a knee-jerk reaction.
Peter Gibson, spokesman for the charity, said: "Proposals to lock up suspected gang members for wearing their colours on so-called rival territory are both unenforceable and another example of the knee-jerk panic surrounding gangs.
"Many of the young people who profess to being in gangs are in reality simply involved in antisocial behaviour. We would be far better off investing in education campaigns and positive activities to steer young people away from this rather than giving their behaviour the label ‘gangs’, which makes it appear rebellious and, perversely, cool."
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