A troublesome 10-year-old girl has vowed to be good after a reign of nuisance at a Chelmsford shopping parade.
The girl has been banned from shops in Trent Road for six months as part of a continuing police crack-down on nuisance youths.
She is one of three Chelmer Housing Partnership tenants who have signed up to an Acceptable Behaviour Contract, along with boys of 13 and 15, with the threat of eviction if they break the conditions.
The ABCs follow a dispersal order granted for the Trent Road area following a series of general complaints about youths intimidating shop customers, shoplifting, drinking alcohol and causing criminal damage.
The dispersal order, introduced on April 13, grants police powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act to prosecute loitering youths if they refuse to move on when asked. To date these powers have not been used.
Beat officer PC Geoff Evans, who enforced the contract at the girl's home, said: "The girl in question is not a criminal but she is starting to get in trouble.
"She had been throwing stones and verbally abusing older people. One of the good things about this is it gives the family conditions to respond to."
The girl's contract says she must go to school, be at home by 8pm and not be involved in criminal activity.
Breaking the conditions could mean the family are evicted from their home or the girl receives a tougher Anti-Social Behaviour Order.
Published Thursday June 10, 2004
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