Howard targets the 'yob culture'

Mr Howard says he wants criminals looking around in fear

Troublesome families could face eviction from their benefit-paid homes under Tory plans to beat "yob culture", Michael Howard has said.

The Tory leader said his party would allow councils to withdraw housing benefit from families convicted three or more times of anti-social behaviour.

He also said offenders who flouted anti-social behaviour orders could face losing their driving licences.

The Lib Dems are focusing on help for families, and Labour on the economy.

'Consequences'

Mr Howard said the prime minister's promises to be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime were "all talk".

Crime and disorder was "making life a misery for millions of families across Britain", he said.

This is tough I know - but we have got to take a stand Michael Howard

The decline of individual responsibility had left Britain "unable to get a grip" on rising crime and disorder.

Mr Howard said a Tory government would "reward people who do the right thing and hold to account the small minority of families who don't play by the rules".

"I want to send a clear and unequivocal message - actions have consequences," said Mr Howard.

"This tiny minority of troublesome families need to understand that if they don't mend their own ways, or get their children under control, they risk being forced to leave their benefit-paid-for homes.

"This is tough I know - but we have got to take a stand.

"I don't want members of the public looking over their shoulders. I want criminals looking around in fear.

"It is time to give the yobs a dose of the fear they have been dishing out to the rest of us.

"Now I use that word deliberately - fear. I want these people to fear the consequences of their actions."

'Turnaround Schools'

David Willetts, shadow work and pensions secretary, said families could move into Bed and Breakfast accommodation and children could be cared for by relatives.

He said withdrawing housing benefit from problem families had been a pledge Tony Blair had made in 2002, but it had later been abandoned.

The Tories say offenders currently break nearly half of all anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos).

Prison is the only option available to police and courts in such cases, they argue, and is inappropriate for many youngsters.

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Law and order

They instead plan to allow courts to suspend driving licences for people who break Asbos. Offenders under 17 could be prevented from getting a driving licence for up to a year.

The party says it will spend £200m on creating "Turnaround Schools" to give persistently disruptive pupils basic skills, job prospects and drug treatment if they need it.

The party says some parents lack the necessary skills and it will offer "hands-on" advice from the Parenting Advice Service to all those who have just had a baby.

The plans also include providing £20m to schools, charities and community groups to set up activity clubs for children aged between 11 and 16.

Parents whose children persistently break Asbos face supervision orders.

Paying back

These would work like curfews, forcing the parent to spend a defined amount of time with the child inside the home or elsewhere. They could also ban the family from visiting designated places.

Local councils would also be able to tackle "troublesome families" through reparation orders, where people do community work to pay back for the damage they have caused.

The Tories would extend the reparation orders introduced by Labour by scrapping the current 24-hour limit so the orders can be completed over a 12-month period.

The proposals also include allowing head teachers to make parents sign binding home-school contracts about their child's behaviour.

They come as police chiefs have accused the party of running misleading adverts to stir up fear of rising crime.

Mark Oaten, the Lib Dems home affairs spokesman, said: "Far from cutting offending, violent crime rose every year under the Conservatives.

"And while John Major promised to increase police numbers by 5,000, Michael Howard cut them by nearly 500."