Vandals, thugs and so-called neighbours from hell are ignoring anti-social behaviour orders.

For every order issued, West Midlands Police is forced to deal with three violations.

Tony Blair will today announce a new crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

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He will promise a range of measures to ensure agencies such as police and local councils are forced to listen to residents who want action taken.

Anti-social behaviour orders, known as Asbos, are a key part of the Government's campaign against low-level crime and thuggery.

Courts issue orders banning people from specific activities, such as playing music loudly or entering shopping centres.

Ignoring the order is a criminal offence, punishable with a fine or up to five years imprisonment.

But there have been 1,419 Asbo breaches in the West Midlands - out of 485 Asbos issued.

The figures show some Asbo recipients are breaking the terms of their order more than once.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said: "We take complaints seriously and will work to ensure that the majority of decent law-abiding residents are not intimidated and threatened by a mindless few.

"Anti-social behaviour orders are one way to tackle this problem and we believe, an effective tool in making communities feel safer."

The statistics cover the period since Asbos were introduced in 1999 to June 2005.

Education Secretary Ruth Kelly will be in Birmingham today to launch the Govern-ment's "Respect Action Plan", at the same time as Tony Blair in London.

It will include proposals to allow residents to force local councils to take action against known troublemakers, and to hold regular public meetings where police and council officials can be held to account.

Conservative leader David Cameron will try to steal Labour's thunder by publishing his own "real respect agenda", as he meets voluntary groups helping rebuild communities in deprived areas.