STREET robbers and youths who terrorise families in Bolton are to be banned from returning to the scene of their crimes.

Council chiefs and the police are to make them subject to anti social behaviour orders (ASBOs) in a crackdown that will tackle repeat offending.

Bolton is believed to be the first authority in the country planning to impose the orders on youths either during or after they have completed their detention or prison sentence.

The new orders will stop situations where young troublemakers serve short sentences then return to cause havoc at the original scene of their crimes when they are released.

While a custodial sentence may only last months a banning order can last as long it is felt appropriate.

Legal representatives have argued in the past that it is double punishment for offenders, but magistrates say that banning orders are intended to protect the public.

Bolton Council officers and local police chiefs are reviewing the cases of seven young

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offenders with the intention of serving them with banning orders once they are released from custody.

The move comes at a time when levels of robbery and violent crime are soaring. Last year in Bolton, there were 710 robberies, a rise of 47 per cent.

Chief Inspector Alan Greene of Bolton Police said: "The orders will be a valuable tool in the fight against street crime.

"When people are released from prison it often feels like we are back to square one.

"We want to take them through prison and apply for an ASBO to make sure they don't commit offences again once they come out. Street crime is very much territorial and we want to cut down the opportunities of young criminals."

Executive member for Social Inclusion, Cllr Frank White said that when it came to cracking down on anti-social youths in the community, they meant business.

He said: "We have worked on a dozen banning orders since ASBOs were introduced. It is not always apparent to the public that we are pursuing these individuals. Four young people were sent to prison before we could complete the orders.

"It is theses cases that we want to pick up because the individuals concerned are going back into the community. The public gets upset because in a sense they feel the criminals are getting off more lightly -- a banning order can last a lot longer.

"We hope to lead the way on this new strategy and we are currently seeking legal opinion.

"We want people to know that we are prepared to pursue these people who cause fear, alarm and distress within the community."

Bolton South MP Brian Iddon welcomed the news. "After a slow start in using ASBOs I can only applaud Bolton Council now for realising the orders have a useful purpose to serve."

See tomorrow's Bolton Evening News to find out how the new Youth Offending Panels are trying to get young people back on track.