TWO teenage girls who plagued Darlington town centre with a campaign of violence, vandalism and intimidation are thought to have made legal history in the North-East.

Joanne Mafham, 18, and Claire Richards, 17, have become the first female friends in the region - and possibly the country - to be made the subject of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs).

Magistrates in Darlington took the rare step to curb the girls' activities which have caused havoc in the town centre.

The pair could face prison if they breach the orders.

The teenagers, who are close friends, have committed more than 30 recorded offences between them this year, including:

* Stealing a mobile phone from a 16-year-old girl, then attacking a man who came to help;

* Smashing cars up after drinking sprees in the town centre streets;

* Abusing security staff and shopkeepers;

* Refusing to leave shops when asked to;

* Shouting abuse and taunting police officers.

Delighted police said they hoped the threat of jail would bring the girls, who both live in the town, to their senses.

Mafham, who lives in Yarm Road, and Richards, of Grange Road, have even been banned from being seen together in public.

The orders also prevent them from drinking, harassing or intimidating members of the public, and they must leave shops immediately when ordered out.

Police only seek anti-social behaviour orders in extreme circumstances when all else has failed. Durham Constabulary has only applied for such an order on a female once before.

Sergeant Paul Robinson, community safety officer in Darlington, gathered all the evidence together to gain anti-social behaviour orders on both girls.

He said last night: "A lot of the offences have been committed while these girls have been under the influence of alcohol. They were drinking in public, on the streets, and then causing trouble.

"There were some problems in the Cornmill Shopping Centre, when Joanne has been abusive to members of staff and police. And there was a particularly bad incident at Victoria Embankment in May when half a dozen cars were damaged."

But Sgt Robinson said that the final straw was relatively recently, when the girls threatened a 16-year-old, stole her mobile phone, then punched and injured a man who came to the victim's aid.

He said: "At first the behaviour was a mixture of anti-social behaviour with abuse to shopkeepers, etc. It then changed and started to drift towards criminal behaviour."

Sgt Robinson said that there was no evidence the girls had been causing trouble in their own neighbourhoods.

One of Joanne's neighbours said last night: "She has not caused any trouble around here.

"But she boasts about what she has done, as if she is proud of it. It seems she just doesn't care at all what she gets away with."

He added that since Joanne's order had come into force last week, her behaviour and attitude had improved.

There have been 15 ASBOs made in County Durham since they came into effect two years ago. A police spokesman said: "Only a third have been breached, and the offenders have been dealt with in a variety of ways, including imprisonment."

Sgt Robinson added: "The whole purpose is to get that person behaving in a normal, sociable manner."