A TOWN'S scheme hoping to nip anti-social behaviour in the bud was launched yesterday.
Run by children's charity Barnado's, alongside local voluntary agencies, the scheme in Hartlepool will focus on responding to low level incidents of anti-social behaviour.
It is hoped that by engaging with the children involved at an early stage, they will be discouraged from going on to commit further incidents, which could result in criminal prosecutions.
The scheme, called Fast (Families Accessing Support Team), was launched at Dyke House School, in Hartlepool.
Lisa Graham, children's services manager at local organisation Hartbeat, said: "Last year there were about 243 incidents of anti-social behaviour in Hartlepool. We hope that by offering support to children and their families, many of these incidents can be nipped in the bud. We're not talking about serious incidents here, but the risk is that if nothing is done at an early stage they can soon escalate." Community wardens will be co-operating in the scheme.
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