HIGHWORTH police are stepping up their fight against persistent teenage tearaways. Officers were joining forces with Swindon Council to apply for the serving of anti-social behaviour orders against four youngsters.

The applications were being heard at Swindon Magistrates Court on Monday, July 8, and form part of a wider crackdown on youth crime in the town.

Action was taken by police in the town after residents complained about vandalism and unruly behaviour.

Last summer the police forced seven youngsters to sign six-month acceptable behaviour contracts, which are designed to limit anti-social behaviour.

Officers were today applying for anti-social behaviour orders to be served on four youngsters who broke their contracts.

Sergeant Mark Smith of Highworth police, said the situation had improved recently and today's action would consolidate the work already taken.

He said: "Through these orders we are hoping to achieve a continued reduction in problems of anti-social behaviour.

"They are enforceable with the power of arrest and should the young person offend again they could be brought before the courts."

Sam Telling is among the youngsters who served an acceptable behaviour contract last year.

The 14-year-old spoke to the Advertiser last week about his exclusion from Highworth's Warne-ford School and his new challenge at Dorcan Technology College, where he has now settled down and is doing well in lessons.

But his mother Sue Martin attacked the police policy serving anti-social behaviour orders. She and other mothers have set about organising youth events to keep youngsters occupied and out of trouble.

She said: "I think it is a negative way of dealing with the problem.

"What you need to do is try and get youngsters who have been excluded back into school.

"What happened was that the group he was involved in were blamed for things they didn't do, not by the police but by the community. That made them very defensive.

"The contracts should be made in conjunction with some sort of community service which would occupy them."

Policing levels at Highworth have suffered recently because officers have been involved in operations outside the town. But two new officers have now boosted numbers to seven, one short of full capacity.

PC Mike Simms and PC Graeme Bailey have joined the station from Swindon.