Public worried about teenage antisocial behaviour

But children's charities have blamed negative media portrayal of young people for the high level of anxiety among the public.

The latest quarterly British Crime Survey by the Home Office reveals that 31 per cent of people find teenagers to be a problem. It is the form of antisocial behaviour people are most worried about, above drug and alcohol abuse and vandalism.

But Debra Clothier, national policy development manager for crime reduction charity Nacro, said: "Its hardly surprising that members of the public are fearful of young people in the street because the national media are constantly portraying them in a negative light. Most young people, even those who hang around on street corners, wouldn't harm anyone."

Levels of concern are almost the same as those recorded for the same period last year (32 per cent), showing that anxiety about teenagers' behaviour has not improved.

Graham Beech, director of young people's charity Catch22, said: "Hanging around is not a crime in itself. Often young people would much prefer to be doing something else, but lack places to go.

"By working together in communities, we can stop crime rates going up, and help young people and older adults understand each other better, as well as reducing the fear of crime."

The crime survey also showed that only 47 per cent of people feel that police and the local council are dealing with antisocial behaviour in their area.