Crackdown starts on yob behaviour

A major campaign to tackle criminal damage and anti-social behaviour is under way on Teesside.

Police will join forces with Redcar and Cleveland Council and other local groups as part of operation Equinox.

It will build on past schemes in which plain clothes officers have mixed with offenders, tackling nuisance drinking, noisy gatherings and general damage.

Education and prevention projects will also be run throughout the two-month long initiative.

Clear picture

Ch Insp Chris Sadler said: "We have carried out operations using plain clothes officers and this has given us a much clearer picture of what anti-social behaviour looks like in our borough.

"There are occasions when complaints about young people are based on intolerance and misunderstanding and we need to change some people's misconceptions of youth behaviour."

"However, it is clear that there are significant problems with loutish behaviour which we are determined to address."