IDEAS and designs by five youngsters have been used to create a special leaflet aimed at steering young people in Suffolk Coastal away from anti-social behaviour.

By Richard Cornwell

IDEAS and designs by five youngsters have been used to create a special leaflet aimed at steering young people in Suffolk Coastal away from anti-social behaviour.

The full-colour “ASBO Wot Eva” leaflet was launched at Woodbridge's Seckford Hall and will now be distributed around the district.

Sherrie Green, a board member of the Suffolk Coastal Local Strategic Partnership said: “The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership wanted to create a leaflet that explained to young people what anti-social behaviour is, its consequences and how to report it.

“We thought that the best people to help us get this important message across was our local youngsters so we held a competition asking for designs for a leaflet.

“The standard of entries to the competition was extremely high and elements of the best four have all been used. The competition winners not only got prizes but also worked with Suffolk Police to finalise the design.

“ASBO Wot Eva has taken the best of the winning designs and will help young people in Suffolk Coastal better understand the issues around anti-social behaviour and its consequences and hopefully will help further reduce anti-social behaviour in our district.”

Sisters Gemma and Becky Oakes, aged 13, from Dennington, were joint first prize-winners, with Eloise Vest, 11, from Martlesham, while Ellen Wright, 14, and Terry Dean, 12, both from Felixstowe, were second and third.

The winners received a MP3 player, and the runners up music vouchers.

Crime rates in Suffolk Coastal are among the lowest in the country but reducing anti-social behaviour is one of the main targets of the district's CDRP, whose partners have carried out a number of initiatives.

The most recent crime statistics showed a nine per cent drop in the last year, and the public perception of vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property dropping by 27 per cent over the last three years to only 20 per cent.

n. Do you think this is a good way to get the message across? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk