A DOZEN young troublemakers are being monitored by Gravesham's anti-social behaviour order group following the success of its first order, made in December.

Stacey Law, 14, was the subject of an Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) in December and, since then, has caused no trouble for her Waterdales neighbours.

ASBOs are wide-reaching court orders and are often seen as a last resort. Breaching one is an offence which could mean up to five years in a secure unit.

The group, made up of council officers, police, educational welfare officers and members of the youth offending team (YOT), ultimately aims to avoid going down the long and expensive road to court.

Council leader Councillor Rosemary Leadley said: "The ASBO we brought is working very well but there are other ways to tackle offenders before they get to that very serious stage.

"For example, outreach workers interact with youths in an attempt to prevent criminal behaviour escalating."

The focus is very much on a "multi-agency" approach. YOT is made up of social services, police, education, health and probation services.

It works with young people aged 10 to 17 who have been involved in crime or who are deemed likely to in the future.