Problem families could be sent to high-security "sin bins" as part of the Government's latest crusade against anti-social behaviour, it has emerged.
Ministers are considering draconian powers which would see so-called neighbours from hell removed from their homes and placed in special units monitored by private security guards and CCTV.
Have your say » It is also thought that new ways of targeting tearaways under the age of ten, including creating "baby" anti-social behaviour orders, are being examined.
The plans are an attempt to give Tony Blair's pledge to put the "respect" agenda at the heart of his third term some desperately-needed substance.
But critics ridiculed the suggestion that entire families could be placed under unofficial house arrest in quasi "penal colonies".
They also questioned whether it would be possible to impose Asbos on children under ten.
'Respect Tsar'
The proposals have been drawn up by the Prime Minister's controversial 'respect tsar' Louise Casey, who was criticised earlier this year for confessing during an after-dinner speech that she liked to get "hammered".
Home Office minister Hazel Blears threw her weight behind the "sin bins" idea during the Labour conference last month. She told a fringe meeting that special housing units for families of young tearaways could play a big role in "reclaiming our streets".
The plans have been partly inspired by an experiment in Dundee, where disruptive families are housed in a block of six flats surrounded by high fences and watched over by security cameras.
Although they are free to come and go, the block is a last chance for families accused of persistent yobbish behaviour. However, there were doubts about how the new powers could be brought in, with critics saying they were certain to face legal challenges.
Earlier this year, a High Court ruling seriously undermined existing powers to create "curfew zones" for children. The judges said children could only be asked to leave the zone, not be forced to go home.
Police forces have also proved reluctant to use the powers, with only 400 dispersal areas created under the powers introduced two years ago.
There will also be resistance to plans to give private guards the right to detain families.
Labour's new Community Support Officers do not have powers of arrest, although they can detain people for 30 minutes until a police officer arrives.
Hoon on the defensive
Commons leader Geoff Hoon defended the Government's drive to find fresh ways to tackle the disruption caused by anti-social behaviour.
"Can I make absolutely clear that the Government is prepared to consider any proposals that will effectively deal with this threat to our society," he said.
But there was confusion in Whitehall last night after a Downing Street spokesman said he did not "recognise" the plans to set up sin bins.
In contrast, Home Office insiders confirmed the proposals were being considered by Home Secretary Charles Clarke, who is working with Miss Casey to finalise legislation to fight anti-social behaviour. However, they poured cold water on the suggestion that "baby Asbos" were part of the plans.
The Conservatives poured scorn on what they described as Labour's latest "gimmicks", saying the public wanted to see more action, not more rhetoric.
Home affairs spokesman David Davis said: "It is extremely difficult to see how this plan could work in practice.
"It has all the hallmarks of an eye-catching initiative rather than a substantive proposal to tackle low-level crime."
There was also criticism from Phillip Noyes, public policy director of children's charity the NSPCC. "These reported proposals are deeply disturbing," he said. "Children who cause trouble can themselves come from very troubled backgrounds."
'Sin Bins' for neighbors from hell??
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