Parents of youngsters committing anti-social behaviour should have their benefits cut or be evicted from their homes, a think-tank has urged.
As concerns mount over Britain's lawlessness, families should have their benefits docked or be thrown out of their social housing if their kids continue terrorising their neighbours, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has advised.
Anti-social behaviour has risen since Labour came to power, with 41 per cent of adults experiencing or witnessing disorder last year compared to 35 per cent the year before.
And last week, deadly gang violence saw more than 200 police officers dispatched to Middlesborough to help keep locals safe.
Despite this, a recent poll by campaign group the Common Ground Justice Project found over half of the public believe the justice system is bad at handling anti-social behaviour.
The CSJ has now called for social landlords to be empowered to seek possession of their property where any occupant persistently commits anti-social behaviour in their community.
Anti-social behaviour has risen since Labour came to power, with 41 per cent of adults experiencing or witnessing disorder last year compared to 35 per cent the year before (Pictured: A vigil in Middlesbrough)
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said on Tuesday: 'If people do not feel safe on their high streets, they will not visit them'
Fines for poor behaviour that go unpaid would then be deducted from the tenant's Universal Credit at 15 per cent of the standard allowance.
Councils would also be empowered to introduce three-month bans on wearing face coverings in hotspots for crime.
And with a third of the public concerned about shoplifting according to the report, its authors recommend repeat offenders facing GPS tagging, curfews and restrictions blocking them from certain high streets.
Security guards would also be given new powers to detain shoplifters, with businesses expected to report every incident to the police.
Ministers would be called on to use legislation to allow retailers to use facial recognition to catch prolific offenders.
Commenting on Britain's growing crime problem, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said on Tuesday: 'If people do not feel safe on their high streets, they will not visit them.
Mass gatherings of youths swarmed Clapham, south-west London, in what were dubbed 'link ups' earlier this year
Clapham security guard tells of locking customers inside store as mobs of youths ran wild
'Labour have compounded the problem by being soft on crime, failing to tackle dodgy vendors and rolling out tax hikes that have forced much-loved high street businesses to close and led to whole streets being boarded up.
'Labour lack the backbone to do anything about it. Their solution to crime is to release thousands of dangerous offenders onto our streets. Meanwhile they have cut police numbers since the election.'
And chair of the Centre for Social Justice Sir Iain Duncan-Smith said that anti-social behaviour is 'the single greatest issue affecting the law-abiding public' but has become 'a case of police and councils turning a blind eye as it gets worse'.
He added: 'We must re-take our streets from the gangs for the sake of law-abiding citizens. I urge ministers to take this report and its proposals seriously.'
The CSJ's proposals appear in its Hijacked High Streets inquiry, which also discovered that nine in ten dodgy high street shops remain open despite Labour launching increasing numbers of raids last year.