ASBO's R'Us

One of Nanny's proudest accomplishments, in her view anyway, is the introduction and extensive use of Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO's).

This brilliant legal instrument, designed to short circuit the tedious process of using the legal system and "due process", was designed by Nanny to bring control back to the streets and enable people to ASBO those elements of society that they don't like; eg noisy neighbours, teenagers and scum.

The trouble is, it is also a remarkably tempting weapon to be used by people who have "old scores" to settle.

When the Nazis occupied the Channel Islands it was remarkable how many anonymous letters the Gestapo received from resident's informing on fellow islanders, ie they were using the new regime to settle old scores.

Unfortunately thus it is for ASBO's.

Nanny would have you believe that ASBO's are generally meted out to troublesome annoying ruffians, who are out to destroy society.

As ever in Nanny's Britain, what she says and what the reality is are two very different beasts.

A recent set of statistics on ASBO's in Eastbourne shows that people aged 50 and over are getting more of them, than unruly teenagers.

Over 50% of the Asbos in Eastbourne are given to the over-50s

One police officer was quoted as saying:

"You automatically think of rowdy teenagers

being the main source of problems.

However, in Eastbourne, it seems a lot of cantankerous

old folk are causing real headaches for their neighbours.

I know the town is called 'God's waiting room'

but it's no fun being in any sort of room

if your next-door neighbour insists on playing

her Des O'Connor collection at full blast at 4am."

in fact, most of Eastbourne's adult Asbos are due to nuisance behaviour, such as the man who did DIY jobs too noisily or another who aggressively pushed his gardening business with door-to-door visits.

The question is, is it right to use the law to settle old scores or conduct vendettas?

That's what happens when you try to limit "due process".