FIFTEEN “badly-behaved” youths from Bournemouth’s West Howe are signing Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) at Winton Police station today.

Police believe ABCs are helping turn around the behaviour of some teenagers in the area.

Sgt Lee Tharme gave the news to around 50 residents at Saturday’s meeting of the North Bournemouth Area Forum in Kinson Community Centre.

He said: “We have got 15 lads from West Howe coming in to sign them on Tuesday. We have had lots of problems around Henry Brown Youth Centre.”

He said ABCs last for three to six months and if they are breached three times the police may try to get an Asbo, which can lead to a prison sentence.

He said the police help youths with ABCs, for example with access to funding for courses or sports clubs.

Sgt Tharme said: “We do try and work with other agencies to put a whole package together and on the whole it’s been successful and we don’t have many beaches.”

Anti-social behaviour in the area is down nine per cent since last year, he added.

Beat officer PC Katie Harvey said that a group of youths causing problems around Paget Drive had signed up to ABCs.

She said they were running through gardens and being abusive, adding: “We did go through a stage of perhaps getting a call every other day.

“Since there have been ABCs, we have gone down to perhaps five calls in eight weeks. These young people have risen to the challenge.”

She said they had become regulars at East Howe Youth Centre and on the football pitches of Pelhams Park leisure centre.

Sgt Tharme also noted that some of the youths were hanging around on the streets because their home life iwas so bad.

“They are not bad kids,” he said.

“They need a bit of attention.”