Laws welcomes somerset police's use of antisocial orders

David Laws, Lib Dem MP for Yeovil constituency, can today reveal that Avon & Somerset Police force, together with local councils, is one of the top users in England of Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). ASBOs are issued by the police to deal with individuals who have been found guilty of persistent anti-social or harassing behaviour within it. The information on use of ASBOs was disclosed in a recent Parliamentary question.

David Laws MP said:

“ I welcome this new information showing how the Avon & Somerset Police have made good use of these Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). Locally, the police and South Somerset District Council have been working closely on this matter. I have found out that our police force has used 28 ASBOs between April 1999 and September 2001, making them the fourth highest users of them in the country out of 42 police force areas. This is good news and I am glad that our police force is taking advantage of this tool to make a real difference in people’s lives.

“ Many local people suffer from consistent harassment or anti-social behaviour. This can make life a misery for the victims. As ASBOs can be used by local communities or individuals to tackle persistent offending I very much support their use.”

Category: MP Press Releases