Leeds City Council has launched a Community Trigger pilot which will give victims of persistent antisocial behaviour a voice. Pilots have already been launched in Richmond on Thames, Manchester, Brighton and West Lindsey and Boston and as a result long-standing, difficult anti social behaviour cases have been resolved.

If an individual reports the same incident of  anti social b ehaviour three times this will activate the Community Trigger requiring local agencies to get together to find a solution to the problem.

Crime Prevention Minister Jeremy Browne said: “Anti-social behaviour causes enormous harm to victims and communities. The Government is making sure victims get a better response in towns and cities across the UK including Leeds.

The Community Trigger is intended to be a safety net for the public if police and local authorities do not take action, not the first response when a problem occurs. It is one of a range of new measures which will make it easier and quicker for agencies to protect victims and communities from the blight of anti-social behaviour.

He added: “ASBOs simply didn’t work — more than half were breached at least once. The new measures will speed things up and give power back to the people.”