Anti-social behaviour orders -'Asbos'- can ban people from specific activities or from entering particular areas.
 
Asbos can be served against children as young as 10. The only criteria that the magistrate must use in deciding to impose an Asbo is that the individual has behaved in a manner "that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress".
 
Breaching the conditions of an Asbo is a criminal offence, punishable by up to five years in prison. This means that individuals are being sent to prison for committing acts which are not in themselves illegal. 

Liberty is deeply concerned about the way Asbos are being used. If individuals are committing crimes of intimidation or harassment, then the criminal law should be used to tackle their behaviour.
 
Increasingly, children and vulnerable people who need help and support are being served with Asbos. We fear that this will create greater problems for those individuals and society.