YOUNG thugs who breach tough court orders aimed at curbing anti-social behaviour will face being locked up, Gwent magistrates are pledging.

The calls comes after the Argus revealed on Saturday that police in Newport are becoming increasingly concerned over the effectiveness of anti-social behaviour orders, which are being consistently flouted by youths.

The six youths and two adults on ASBOs in Newport are alleged to have breached the orders 30 times among them, with seven convictions, 16 cases pending and seven which were not proceeded with. The sentences for the breaches have ranged from prison terms to community punishment orders.

Clerk to the justices Eddie Harding said: "The court is there to listen to the applications and decide whether the grounds for making the order are substantiated.

"For breaching the order the guidelines within which magistrates work would suggest that the starting- point is custody.

"In a recent case, a lad was given four months in prison for breaching his ASBO, and when he appealed to the crown court, the sentence was upheld. This suggests a consistent approach to custody across the judicial system.

"Certainly, custody is the starting-point for decisions, although it must be said we have to take each case on its merits."

Newport councillor Bob Bright, cabinet member for community safety, which covers anti-social issues, said: "Six out of ten of these orders are being disregarded across the country, and it is entirely unsatisfactory.

"This is something I raised with David Blunkett when he was at the Ringland club in Newport. Mr Blunkett said he would take this on board." ASBOs were brought in by the government in 1999 in a bid to impose tough restraining conditions on youths and adults who are deemed to be persistently causing trouble in a particular area.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: "Just because someone breaches an ASBO doesn't mean that it's failed.

"Without going into the specifics of the Newport area, the purpose of an ASBO is to protect the community and the police have powers to enforce that.

"The maximum penalty for breach is five years' imprisonment, so that level of custodial punishment is available to them and that has been pointed out."