Training could reduce anti-social behaviour

That idea comes in a pamphlet published yesterday by the Royal Society of Arts, after researchers found people were not confident enough to step in and stop bad behaviour and many people believed they risked getting into trouble themselves if they intervened.

Written by policy expert Ben Rogers, the pamphlet says: "We argue that community training will build up a culture of intervention beyond the police and equip citizens and public servants more generally.

"If we're to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) then communities need to be given the confidence that they can solve their own problems without always resorting to state-led interventions."

The pamphlet says park keepers, public transport workers, street cleaners, caretakers, and teachers could become figures of authority if they were trained in basic community safety skills.

The training would involve mediation techniques as well as lessons in how to tell when it was safe to intervene and when police should be called.

Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert said: "The Government is reviewing the powers available to tackle ASB. We will consider new ideas, such as those being put forward in this report, and we will consult with the public and agencies about how to ensure a more effective response to ASB in future.

"For too long ASB has been downgraded and it is still too often ignored."