Curfews to be extended to older children
LONDON (Reuters) - Local authorities will soon be able to impose curfews on children aged 10 to 15 under sweeping new powers to be announced by the Home Office today.


The powers, an extension of existing curfew laws that apply to the under 10s, will allow authorities to prevent all under 16s in a set area from venturing out alone at night for up to 90 days.


Critics of the scheme say it will be virtually impossible to enforce and only serve to increase tension between young people and the police.


"These powers could well end up becoming the dangerous dogs act of the juvenile justice system, popular with no one and virtually impossible to enforce," spokesman for crime reduction charity Nacro, Chris Stanley, said.


"I pity the police officer who has to spend his or her evenings working out which teenagers are under 16."


Nacro also argues that the measures, which apply to all youngsters in the curfew area, will hurt those who have done nothing wrong the most.


"If these curfews are enforced, their impact will be felt most keenly by those children and young people who have never been in trouble with the police," Stanley said.


"For them, usual activities like going to the youth club, nipping down the road to the corner shop, and visiting friends, will become instantly unlawful unless they are accompanied at all times by an adult."


The government has rejected the criticism and said the measures will make communities safer. Children will protected from drug dealers, pimps and other criminals, the Home Office said.


"Groups of young people involved in anti-social behaviour can cause fear and distress in local communities," Home Office minister Beverley Hughes said in a statement. "The police, as well as the local authorities, now have clear powers to take children found in breach of a local child curfew order home to their parents or to a safe place."

 http://uk.news.yahoo.com/010801/80/c034b.html