The term 'stuck between a rock and a hard place' could have been invented for the day a TV company announces they are making a fly-in-the-wall documentary and asks for your co-operation.

By saying no, you won't stop the programme being made and you run the risk that it will be ill-informed and biased. But, by agreeing, you lay yourself wide open to external scrutiny and the possibility of a hatchet job.

Many readers will have watched the prime-time BBC investigation programme Kenyon Confronts on Wednesday night, which looked into the effectiveness of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders.

The programme showed how, in towns and cities across Britain, there are problems with yobs who think they can terrorise local communities. It showed how, in Middlesbrough, we will take action against such yobs - often thanks to evidence gathered by our team of wardens.

Unfortunately, the programme did not inform the public how successful our approach has been, not simply in terms of the 18 per cent fall in crime over the past 12 months, but in terms of the number of young people we turn away from a life of crime.

When a young person first comes to our attention as a result of a complaint of anti-social behaviour, he or she and their parents can expect a visit from a police officer and council officer. It is spelt out to them in no uncertain terms that this behaviour is unacceptable and they will go to jail if they continue. The grim realities of prison life are then explained so graphically the young person will often end up in tears.

Out of 200 young people spoken to, 50 per cent will never come to our attention again. Those who do will be placed on acceptable behaviour contracts, often signed jointly with their parents. These contracts are high successful in curbing the behaviour of the most unruly teenagers in society. In fact, 90 per cent of youths who agree to such contracts abide by them.

This still leaves some who continue to cause problems. They will be hit by ASBOs which can ban them, not only from certain areas, but also from behaviour such as shouting in the street, congregating with others and even hiding faces with hoods or balaclavas.

We are now down to the hardcore who simply will not accept society's rules. Those who breach an ASBO have used up their last chance and it is now a matter for the courts to decide if they should be locked away.

Of the 200 youths who originally come to our attention for unruly behaviour, just five will breach an ASBO: this is testimony to the effectiveness of our strategy to turn young people away from a life of crime.

Of course, Kenyon Confronts focused on the tiny minority who continue to fight the law and this perhaps gave a misleading impression that nothing was being done about such criminal behaviour.

However, one clip that really struck home was of one youth who was shown a video filmed secretly of him riding a stolen motorbike in a dangerous manner. The initial smirk disappeared when he realised that this was proof he had breached his ASBO. The previously cock-sure yob was now terrified of the consequences of his actions. To me this was clear evidence that ASBOs and our combative approach are working.