A HUGE rise in the number of anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) in the North-East and North Yorkshire is helping rebuild communities, the Government said yesterday.

But opposition parties at Westminster warned that Asbos were being used as a "sticking plaster" and "short-term fix", without tackling the root causes of crime.

Figures have revealed that 107 Asbos were handed out across the region last year, a near-doubling of the 135 issued over the previous five years following their introduction.

Across England and Wales, 2,555 Asbos were issued during the year, compared with 1,926 handed out between April 1999 and December 2003.

Former Durham police chief Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate, who was involved in developing Asbos in his former role as a Home Office advisor, said the rise in the number of Asbos was good news.

He said: "It is a reflection of two things, that it is easier to get them and that the courts are now dealing with anti-social behaviour - which is the bane of everybody's life and causes a lot of people a lot of pain.

"It is no good barking unless you are prepared to bite. The current penalties are okay, but only as long as people are brought back to court and dealt with properly when they breach their order."

Home Office Minister Hazel Blears also announced new protection measures for vulnerable witnesses to make it easier for court hearings to go ahead.

But Shadow Home Secretary David Davies attacked the policy, saying: "Asbos remain a sticking plaster over an amputation as a solution to crime and disorder."

Mark Oaten, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, said: "Too often, an Asbo is a badge of honour, not a real solution to offensive behaviour."

Harry Fletcher, of the National Association of Probation Officers, said it was a sign of an "increasing intolerance of individuals who are different".

Asbos can be used to stop a troublemaker visiting a particular street or building, or harassing a particular person.

Critics claim the orders criminalise young people for bad behaviour, because breaches can result in a five-year jail term.

Of the 107 Asbos in the North-East and North Yorkshire last year, nearly half - 47 - were given to under-17s, Home Office figures show.

From tomorrow, evidence in anti-social behaviour cases can be given behind screens in court and by video link and intermediaries can handle communication with the police.