PRIVATE householders will be evicted from their homes for failing to halt antisocial behaviour under plans announced yesterday by Tony Blair to restore respect in society.

A network of 50 units, including residential “sin bins” for the most disruptive families, is to be set up by the end of the year to help to improve parenting. Families who refuse help face evictions and the loss of their housing benefit, or initially a fine if they live in private homes.

The most disruptive people will be taught social skills, such as getting up in the morning, paying bills and living together as a family. Ministers admitted that no one could be left on the streets or without food. In the most extreme cases, parents would be forced to live with families while their children are taken into care.

Among the new proposals is a measure to give police the power to close and seal public houses and social and private houses for three months where there has been persistent antisocial behaviour. Police would go to court seeking the right to remove a family from their home, close it and seal the windows and doors for up to three months. The proposal is similar to a power that officers have to close crack cocaine houses.

Teenage parents will be offered £30 a week to attend parenting classes as one of several early interventions to stop antisocial behaviour. The parents of any child “seriously misbehaving” at school could be given a parenting order where they will have to attend classes to give them the skills to discipline their youngsters.

The Prime Minister detailed his plan after condemning the existing justice system for being “utterly useless” in dealing with antisocial behaviour. Mr Blair was scathing in his attack on the legal system, which he said had failed the “ordinary citizen” faced with disorder on the streets.

On-the-spot fines are to rise to £100 for serious disorder and may be extended to accident and emergency departments at hospitals.

The thrust of the plan, which arose from complaints by the public during the general election about a lack of respect, is to intervene early with families at risk.

Mr Blair contrasted life today with that experienced by his father, Leo, growing up in Glasgow in the 1930s. Mr Blair said that his father’s generation would be astonished to see today’s bad behaviour.

The Conservatives accused the Prime Minister of “onedimensional, kneejerk populism”. David Cameron, the Tory leader said: “What we have seen is a series of gimmicks, rather than doing what he said he would do, which is deal with some of the long-term causes of crime, family breakdown, problems in our communities.”

Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of Napo, the probation union, argued that “a strategy based on punishment and coercion is unlikely to succeed”. He added: “Early intervention with parents is essential, but is best based on consent. The plan has massive resource implications for probation, police and social services. Compulsory parenting orders, and the eviction of extremely difficult families, will not alleviate the real problems that the Government has identified.”

Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of the Children’s Society, said the plan failed to offer anything more than a “cocktail of policies that have already been launched” and shock tactics.

• A houseful of noisy students could be evicted under new plans, the Home Secretary said yesterday. Charles Clarke told Today on BBC Radio 4: “I’ve had constituents . . . complaining about a flat occupied by students who do absolutely nothing to quell their loud noise, loud music, disruption of their lives. At the end of the day, of course after a lot of other processes, I think eviction is an appropriate thing to be considered.”

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• 6 reasons not to give gifts this Christmas
• Remembrance Day: All the lonely heroes