Teenagers handed ASBOs

TWO Warrington teenagers have been made the subject of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) following a period in which they are said to have indulged in persistent bad behaviour in the town.
The orders were issued during a civil hearing at Warrington Magistrates’ Court in respect of Ryan Swindells, 17, of East Avenue and Kingsley Molyneux, 19, of Mersey Street.
The court was told the bad behaviour covered a period of months, mainly between March last year and May this year.
The pair must now adhere to a series of conditions attached to the orders.
*They must not act, or aid others to act, in an anti-social manner likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, to one or more people of the same household.
*They must not use foul, abusive, insulting, offensive, threatening, disorderly or intimidating language in any public place.
*They must not enter an exclusion zone covering Greenwood Community Centre in Meteor Crescent, Warrington.
*They must not enter the common areas, sheds, garages or other out buildings of any block of flats (including any premises with communal areas) under the control of Golden Gates Housing Trust.
The ASBOs, which run for two years, also restrict the pair from associating with a number of named people in any place to which the public has access.
Inspector Richard Spedding said: “The conditions imposed on the two teenagers reflect how seriously the police, courts and partner agencies take anti-social behaviour in the Warrington area.
“Both Swindells and Molyneux have acted in an anti-social manner, which has manifested itself in a variety of forms, including abusive behaviour, harassment and violence.
“These orders are the result of a lengthy and detailed investigation carried out by Warrington Central Neighbourhood Policing Unit and the Warrington Community Safety Team and Golden Gates Housing Trust.
“ASBOs are not applied for as a knee-jerk reaction – they form part of an ongoing strategy to address the behaviour of individuals.
“In these two cases a number of agencies worked together to try to address the behaviour of the pair but in the end we were left with no option but to apply for the Anti-Social Behaviour Orders.
“These orders illustrate the benefits of effective partnership working in tackling problems affecting the local community. I hope that these orders will send out a strong message to people who engage in acts of anti-social behaviour, in that it will not be tolerated and all necessary action will be taken to bring respite to the communities affected.”
He added: “As part of the investigation a great deal of information came from the local community itself and I would like to thank residents for coming forward.
“It is never easy to see such restrictions placed on young people, however this may be just what is needed to see them get back on track.
“We keep a close eye on people who are made the subject of ASBOs to ensure they are effective. The local community is encouraged to support this work by providing local officers with details of any anti-social activity in their community.”
Pictured: Top: Ryan Swindells; below: Kingsley Molyneux