Beleaguered residents living in Nightingale Avenue, Darlington, used to say they didn't dare go out after dark for fear of anti-social behaviour.

For months, they have endured graffiti being daubed on their walls, stones thrown at their windows and property stolen from garages.

One found a huge knife in bushes in her garden.

Families had to suffer intimidation from groups of up to 100 youths who would gather to drink and socialise.

However, this has already started to change thanks to a dispersal order signed by Darlington Police and the borough council.

Dispersal orders give police and community support officers the power to break up groups of youngsters and exclude people from the area for up to 24 hours.

Between 9pm and 6am, those under the age of 16 can now be taken home and youngsters who persist with anti-social behaviour can be arrested.

It is the first time a dispersal order has been used in Darlington.

The order came into effect on Friday evening, but work to crack down on the problem started three weeks earlier.

Patrolling the area on Saturday, Acting Inspector Sue Robinson told The Northern Echo that the publicity surrounding the order had already reduced the problem.

As we walked around the area, groups of boys in hooded jackets, who were clearly looking to cause problems, were asked to leave and most vanished without a fuss. A few of the more troublesome characters tried to argue back, but no arrests were made.

Insp Robinson said: "One of the things we have heard walking around the area is that we are two weeks too late.

"But the work on this dispersal order did start three weeks ago. Officers have been round all the schools and talked to pupils to explain it.

"All people here want is to be able to live in an area and feel safe, so they can walk out of their homes and not feel intimidated."

The dispersal order covers Nightingale Avenue, Rockwell Avenue and the former Springfield School site, which was set on fire 35 times.

Since April last year, the council's uniformed wardens have been called out 131 times and police called out 210 times to deal with anti-social behaviour in the area.

For at least the next few weeks, teams of police officers will be talking to youngsters in the area and explaining the requirements of the order, which lasts three months and can then be extended.

Talking to teenagers in the area, they said that there was nowhere else for them to go to socialise. There used to be a well-attended youth club next to Haughton School, but this stopped when the Education Village opened in April, they added.

The first weekend went smoothly. Insp Robinson said: "Anti-social behaviour in the area will not be tolerated and those who persistently break the rules will be arrested.

"Residents can report groups of youths in the area to us via 0845-60-60-365."