Home secretary Theresa May said it was "time to move beyond Asbos", possibly signalling an end to anti-social behaviour orders.

Mayor Drummond said Asbos have played an important role in tackling yobs in the town, but Hartlepool Borough Council would manage without them.

He said: "I think the majority have been successful, but there have been a few given out that haven't been, but these people have inevitably ended up behind bars.

"People may say 'does Hartlepool need 50 or 60 Asbos', but there is a system where we look at each individually and they are not given out lightly.

"As a council we have never taken the line that we would rely on Asbos.
"There is a lot of other stuff out there that can be used, and of course the police have plenty of legislation to use. It's all about getting the mix right.

"Whatever is decided nationally, we will look at it and make it work for Hartlepool."

The Asbo was brought in by the Labour Government to deal with persistent minor offenders.

It imposes restrictions, such as banning people from a local area or preventing them from swearing in public.

If an Asbo is breached, offenders can face up to five years in jail.
Launching a review of the system, Conservative MP Mrs May said: "We need a complete change in emphasis, with people and communities working together to stop bad behaviour escalating."

Ministry of Justice figures show 55 per cent of the almost 17,000 Asbos issued nationally between June 2000 and December 2008 were breached, leading to an immediate custodial sentence in more than half of the cases.

In Hartlepool, drunken menace Angela Wrightson, of the town's Stephen Street, has breached her Asbo more than 20 times and is said to cost the courts £500 a week.

Prolific offender Dean Rowbotham, 20, was the first Asbo youth to be publicly named and shamed by the council after civic chiefs issued 2,000 leaflets emblazoned with his picture across the town in 2006.

Rowbotham, of Colwyn Road, Hartlepool, went on to breach his three-year Asbo nine times, including shouting racial slurs at a police station detention officer.

Mr Drummond added: "When you look at how many have been breached, it's important to think of the circumstances.

"For example, there has been a couple of occasions where people have been terrorising estates.

"There could be 60 or 70 incidents over the course of a few months, but then when they have an Asbo they might have just one breach in the same period."