Margot James - anti-social behaviour "unchecked" in Stourbridge (From Stourbridge News)

Margot James - anti-social behaviour "unchecked" in Stourbridge

10:08am Tuesday 26th January 2010 in Local

A LEADING Stourbridge politician says the region is being hit by a wave of unchecked anti-social behaviour.

Margot James, who is hoping to win in the constituency for the Conservative party at the coming general election, says she is being contacted every week by residents living in fear of bullying and yobs.

The wannabe MP believes people in the region are frightened and reluctant to give evidence to cops while the criminal justice system is soft on crooks.

Margot said: “There has to be a dramatic reversal of our priorities so that the rights of law abiding residents to live their lives without violence and daily intimidation are put well ahead of the rights of those who are hell-bent on destruction.”

The high-flying Tory, who has already been tipped for a government job if she wins in Stourbridge and the Conservatives seize power after polling day, said anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) had been “really under-used in our area.”

She added: “I stood at the last general election in the London constituency of Holborn and St Pancras and they made great use of them there, to a marked effect.

“I am afraid that, for some reason, there is a far higher tolerance on the part of authorities of anti-social behaviour in Stourbridge than where I stood for parliament last time. I find it most frustrating.”

Tory plans to tackle yobs include the introduction of immediate fines and the confiscation of property as well as ASBOs.

Margot also believes police, the public and prosecutors all need to do more to deal with what Tory leader David Cameron calls a “broken society”.

Margot said: “Breaches do not end up back in court because there is not the vigilance from the local community - residents, police community support officers, housing officials and so forth - to report breaches.

“I also suspect that even when breaches are reported, the police are not backed up by the Crown Prosecution Service when it comes to bringing charges.

“I am currently dealing with cases in Norton, Wychbury and the Grange estate, situations that have been ongoing for a number of years yet only one arrest has been made, in my experience the problems only subside when the ringleaders are charged and sent away to a young offenders institution.

“Warnings and cautions can deter the hangers-on but not until the ringleaders are removed from the area. The police need to be more focussed on making these necessary arrests.”