Editorial: Investment in antisocial orders is a waste

One of the 200 people gathered at a passionate launch event was a housing worker from Camden who recalled the numerous complaints she received from local residents about Cole, who was constantly kicking a football around.

She pointed out that nowadays Cole would have been slapped with an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) and had his football exploits curtailed, rather than a career at West Ham United, Chelsea and England that looks like resulting in a clutch of medals and a place at the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

The Camden worker explained that lots of estate officers and council employees don't want to enforce ASBOs and would rather the large amounts of money being invested locally in the antisocial behaviour agenda were spent on facilities for young people. Others underlined the intrinsic right of young people to hang out on the streets. Frances Crook, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, recalled many happy hours of her youth spent doing just that.