Birkenhead MP Frank Field calls for residents to trigger arrests of yobs

Jun 24 2009 by Rob Merrick, Liverpool Daily Post

"A 1361 statute allows aggrieved parties to ask for warrants to be issued and for offenders to be brought before the court that day. This private action would restore the idea that communities should be self-governing.

"Decent people who have tried to persuade offenders to behave would know that they could go into the local court and seek action that day.

“The power in local communities would swing away from the yob and towards the decent citizen."

Mr Field said the weakness in the current system was that magistrates were unable to order police to arrest offenders "even if a whole road turns up to complain".

The call comes just two weeks after Gordon Brown appointed a new Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, to replace Jacqui Smith, who quit over the expenses scandal.

Some senior Labour figures are urging the Prime Minister to return to the hardline approach of the Respect agenda – fearing the Tories have seized an advantage on the issue.

Mr Field published a book, entitled Neighbours From Hell – The Politics Of Behaviour, which called for people’s benefits cash to be linked to "acceptable behaviour".

Wirral was among the first eight local authorities given the power to withdraw housing benefit, but the scheme has been little-used since.