AN East Lancashire borough is leading the war against unruly residents, by launching more cases against troublemakers than anywhere else in the country.

Police today revealed Hyndburn is currently involved in seeking more Anti-Social Behaviour Orders against troublesome neighbours than places like Brixton, London, and Merseyside.

The announcement was warmly welcomed by Hyndburn MP Greg Pope, who declared: "It is time for the good people of this borough to know they don't have to suffer."

Inspector Dale Allen, of Accrington Police, said Lancashire Police's Hyndburn area were currently involved in five fresh applications for Anti-Social Behaviour Orders -- more than any other force in the country.

Those five applications to magistrates come on top of two successful orders granted last year. Both have led to to the people concerned leaving the borough, eradicating the problem for local police.

Insp Allen said: "As a borough, we are leading the way for dealing with problems with ASBOs. No other police force, and I do mean force, has as many on the go as we in Hyndburn, and that can only be good news.

"That is quite a feat, but the young people in question are adversley affecting the quality of life for others.

"One boy is a mini crimewave when not in prison. When he was last released he started committing crimes again, so we are determined to have and ASBO issued as soon as we can.

"ASBOs don't make people do things, its stops them from doing the things which have caused so many people misery. "It is our job to ensure people's lives don't suffer because of the behaviour of other people and we will use all the means made available to us."

ASBOs were introduced by the Government as a civil action against people causing a nuisance. Orders can only be brought by councils, if supported by the police. Should the offender breach the terms of the order, they risk being jailed for up to five years.

A spokesman for Hyndburn Council said: "We feel it is important that we work with the police."

Although Hyndburn trails Liverpool for the number of ASBOs actually issued, a spokesman for the Liverpool City Council said most of those were issued during a trial period, before other councils and police forces had the power to issue ASBOs.

The authority spokesman added: "We have none ongoing at the moment because we have no staff to pursue them."

Burnley have issued two in relation to one incident and Blackburn has also issued one.