POLICE on Wearside plan to target Sunderland's ten most persistent criminals under tough laws to crackdown on so-called neighbours from hell.
Officers are building up files of evidence on the worst public disorder offenders in the city, who are terrorising communities.
They will use anti-social behaviour orders, introduced by Home Secretary Jack Straw under the Crime and Disorder Act, to tackle the criminals.
The orders mean persistent offenders can be banned from nuisance behaviour such as drinking in public or congregating in groups. The idea is to disrupt criminals' patterns of behaviour.
If convicted of breaching their order, offenders face up to five years in jail.
Four orders have been successfully introduced on Wearside to curb the behaviour of criminals ruining the lives of law-abiding people.
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