Blair pledges to extend antisocial behaviour measures

12 December 2005  Criminals who blight local communities will be targeted by new powers aimed at seizing their cash, Tony Blair has announced. Police officers can currently take cash or assets over the value of £5,000 if they believe it has been produced by crime, or is to be used in criminal activity.

But the Prime Minister wants that threshold lowered to £1,000 to tackle small-time criminals, as well as the "Mr Bigs".

Currently close to £1 million of suspect cash is being seized every week, and that figure would rise if the new plans are adopted. Mr Blair went to see a Sure Start centre in Harlow on Monday where he met residents to discuss ways to tackle anti-social behaviour. He told journalists:

"It is very hard sometimes for people to understand just what it is like if you are living in a street where there is a family that is out of control or there is somebody dealing drugs in the street. "This is something that cannot be dealt with by the normal processes of the law. It is something we have to take a stand against.''

• People should not have to live in fear , says PM  The PM is also planning an extension of the parenting order system, which are signed by mums and dads when their child is in trouble. Authorities would be able to intervene when they suspect a child is having problems, not once an offence has been committed.
• See our special Respect section Mr Blair's plans were revealed as the Home Office published new research showing that the government's crackdown on anti-social behaviour is working.

The survey details how in "action areas" where problems are being targeted, concern about anti-social behaviour has fallen from 25 per cent to 19 per cent in the last two years - twice the national average.

Furthermore in the first 10 of the areas which joined the action scheme, the number of recorded incidents of criminal damage or anti-social behaviour has fallen by more than four percent. direct.gov.uk