a guide to improving your local environment - Keep Britain Tidy

ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
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What is anti-social behaviour
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 defines anti-social
behaviour, in relation to obtaining an Anti-Social
Behaviour Order (ASBO), as acting “in a manner that
caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or
distress to one or more persons not of the same
household”.
Among the forms anti-social behaviour can take are:
• Graffiti – which can on its own make even the tidiest
urban spaces look squalid;
• Abusive and intimidating language, too often directed
at minorities;
• Excessive noise, particularly late at night;
• Fouling the street with litter;
• Drunken behaviour in the streets, and the mess
it creates;
ANTI-SOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR
• Dealing drugs, with all the problems to which it
gives rise;
• Carrying or use of firearms;
• Trespassing and public disorder;
• Excessively high hedges;
• Vandalism.
What is an Anti-Social Behaviour Order
An Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) is a statutory
measure that aims to protect the public from behaviour
that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or
distress. An order contains conditions prohibiting the
offender from specific anti-social acts or entering defined
areas, and is effective for a specific period. For example,
an ASBO may prohibit an offender from associating with
other named people or from going near a house where
they have caused problems.
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