The Telegraph was also feeling anxious. It said the ruling had"effectively demolished a key plank" of the Home Office's anti-socialbehaviour strategy.
What caused all this keystone kicking away and plank demolishing? Whotriggered the collapse of the Government's strategy? An unnamed16-year-old, helped by civil liberties lawyers. He hadn't liked the factpolice seemed to have the powers to stop, arrest and take homelaw-abiding under 16s.
The judges agreed. They said the powers assumed when a dispersal orderis in place under the 2003 Anti-Social Behaviour Act permitted thepolice to escort children home. But not to do so coercively. In anutshell, the police may not arrest someone who has not committed anoffence, just because they are under 16. If that had been theGovernment's strategy, full marks to the demolition team.
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