Soccer kids threatened with Asbos

Officials from Camden council have written to families who live on the Grove Place Estate in Hampstead warning that they could end up in court if the children persist with their games.

The borough already holds the record for the highest number of anti-social behaviour orders in the capital.

Children have been allowed to play ball games in the courtyard of the estate, which is close to Hampstead High Street, since 2004.

But that permission was rescinded after some residents complained the games were too noisy.

Angelique Noronha was sent a letter warning she could be given an Asbo if her 11-year-old son Darren continued to play football in the yard. Five other families were also warned. Ms Noronha, 38, said: "I was so annoyed when I got the letter threatening me with an Asbo.

"One minute we are being told to keep our children fit and healthy, the next they are being banned from playing outside.

"He used to play a few hours every day with his friends. There were some complaints, but only from a small number of people, usually when the ball rolled into their stairwell. Darren is very upset about this."

Jenny Anderson, 46, who received a letter warning her not to let her son Cal play, said: "The whole thing makes me feel really nervous.

"I'm intimidated and feel like I'm putting my tenancy at risk by kicking up a fuss when I'm just fighting for somewhere for my son to play.

"In an age when childhood obesity is such an issue why should they do this?" Carl, a pupil at Hampstead School, said: "Children live here so they should be able to play here."

Camden said it was responding to complaints over an incident in which up to seven 10-year-olds had been playing outside.

The council's letters explained: "As parents or guardians of these children, you are responsible for their behaviour.

"The council can instigate action against you for causing nuisance which could result in the council obtaining an anti-social behaviour order against you."

A spokesman for Camden said: "We have received a number of complaints from residents.

"We tried an option where games with soft balls only would be allowed between the hours of 9am and 8pm, but this was not adhered to.

"An Asbo would be used as the ultimate sanction in the last resort, if the problem continued."

Will McMahon, acting director of King's College's Crime and Society Foundation, said today: "There's a general level of intolerance for young people and children being generated by the strategy of issuing Asbos.

"This doesn't help create a society in which children can play safely outdoors. These are problems which can be solved by talking to people rather than resorting to the criminal justice process.

"Asbos don't work. They have a known breach rate of 60 per cent and if they make communities better places to live in how come we have a situation where we are using the criminal justice system to deal with children playing football?"

The latest available figures show Camden issued 172 Asbos between April 1999 - when they were first introduced - and December 2005.