Anti-Social Behaviour Orders are in vogue. The number of orders handed out in the North-East and North Yorkshire has nearly doubled in five years to more than 100 in 2004. It is a pattern being repeated across the country.

The Government claims they are helping to rebuild communities. The Tories deride them as being a "sticking plaster" failing to address the root causes of crime.

We believe Asbos have proved to be a useful line in the sand - a final warning to offenders that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated. They do not tackle the root causes of crime - that requires far deeper solutions - but the evidence is that they are helping to control it.

Critics point to the fact that 42 per cent of Asbos are broken. It is clearly a disappointing statistic but not one which renders the orders a waste of time. It means that the majority are working, at least protecting communities to a degree.

There have been extreme cases which have undermined public confidence in Asbos. At Newcastle Crown Court recently, teenager Gary Prescott admitted killing family man Thomas Noble eight days after being given an Asbo intended to stop him causing harassment, alarm or distress.

What was that Asbo worth? Nothing. But others - the majority - are working and that has to be positive.

We do not disagree that major surgery is required to cut into the root causes of crime. But that doesn't mean that sticking plasters can't come in handy in helping to heal some wounds in the meantime.