A HEADTEACHER has welcomed court action against two youths from Burnley after a mini-crimewave in their community.

Kieran Heakin, head of St John's RC Junior School, Thames Avenue, said the school had been forced to spend thousands of pounds because of trouble-makers who have wrecked and stolen property.

Mr Heakin spoke after teenagers, Leon Murray, 14, and a 15-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, became the subject of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). They have been ordered to behave or face a maximum of five years in jail. He said: "It is about time some action was taken. Everyone at the school is sick and tired of mindless idiots who have plagued the school with their antics. People have the right to go about their business in peace. I will certainly not hesitate to go to the police with any evidence I get of people causing trouble at the school."

Mr Heakin said he was now planning to install CCTV cameras at the school to catch yobs who caused vandalism or tried to break in.

He said problems had included numerous thefts, broken windows and even youths holding a drunken party on the school roof.

Police said the two youngsters issued with ASBOs were part of a gang that had caused havoc in the Lanehead area of the town over the last six months, terrorising local residents and businesses as well as the school and Burnley General Hospital. Behaviour included causing criminal damage, intimidating residents, drinking in the street and harassing businesses.

Murray was given an ASBO at Reedley Youth Court following a conviction for assault. His ASBO follows on from another order last week on the15-year-old, who was convicted of a public nuisance offence. The conditions include:

not drinking alcohol in public,

not causing harassment, alarm or distress to any other person or incite anyone else to do so,

not entering Burnley General property unless seeking medical attention,

not entering Avenue Service Station, Casterton Avenue, Burnley and

not entering the grounds of St John's RC Junior School, Thames Ave, Burnley.

Police hope that the two ASBOs will put a halt to the youths' mini-crime spree in Lanehead and serve as a warning to other youngsters in the area. Local community beat manager, PC Janet Eaves, said: "We are delighted to have been successful in obtaining the two orders, which demonstrate our commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour and send a clear message to other offenders that nuisance will not be tolerated by the police or other agencies.

"There are other youths who we are considering taking action against, plus there is more work to be done to further reduce youth nuisance."

A spokesman for East Lancashire NHS Hospitals Trust said: "We are not willing to tolerate anti-social behaviour. Our aim is to protect staff and visitors."