BB FANS

LONDON (Reuters) - A "model" teenage boy won a landmark High Court ruling on Wednesday against the legality of child curfew zones, leaving Prime Minister Tony Blair's high profile bid to reduce anti-social behaviour in disarray.

The 15-year-old boy brought the case against London's police and his local council over their right to remove any under-16-year-old unaccompanied by an adult from an area after 9 p.m. regardless of their behaviour.

Lord Justice Brooke said everyone should have the right to "walk the streets without interference from police".

He also said the current law did not give police the right to force someone to go home.

The boy, known as "W" for legal reasons, said the use of curfews infringed his right to liberty under the European Convention on Human Rights and discriminated against him because he was a child.

"Of course I have no problem with being stopped by the police if I've done something wrong," he said in a statement. "But they shouldn't be allowed to treat me like a criminal just because I'm under 16."

A spokeswoman for the Home Office said the ruling would affect curfew orders across the country but she insisted police still had powers to break up large groups of teenagers who were causing trouble. However they cannot insist they go home.

She also said the Home Office would appeal.

The boy brought his case against the wealthy west London borough of Richmond and the Metropolitan Police but during the hearing, the court was told it would have far wider implications for the way police work.

Lawyers for the boy said some 400 such orders were made between January and September 2004 across the country and that "a large number of people" had as a result had their freedom to move "curtailed or fettered".

Human rights watchdog Liberty, who represented "W" in court, said the boy was a model student and declared the case a victory "for the presumption of innocence".

""We all have a shared interest in genuine efforts to address crime but you don't teach respect by acting unfairly. Today the Court has confirmed Liberty's view that it should never be a crime just to be a child."

Concern over disruptive behaviour by gangs of teenagers, especially in town centres late at night, was a key issue in the May, 2005 election.

Blair had promised to crackdown on yobbish anti-social behaviour and instill more respect among the young.

too right, fair play to him and I hope the message spreads. when you work your guts off all day to help power the economy the last thing you want is someone telling you what to do in that little fragment of freedom we seem to have left remaining these days.

Not sure how many under sixteen year olds work long hard days anymore TF.

i do know that a few years back comming home from a night in a pub i was jumped by 6 under sixteens who tried to mug me thinking mistakenly that i would be an easy target.. i even though the victim ended up with a police caution for hurting three of them while defending myself

If there had beem a curfew i wouldnt have had that problem

Oh and three treid to sue me as i am licenced martial artist which i stupidly admited to the police,, the law is an ass

Bit different but, i used to get stopped a lot when being out on the bike, at around 10:30pm. Now though, they don't bother, which is good. I was getting a bit sick of it to be honest. If you look "really" suspicious, then fine, but if your just doing what you normally do, then i don't see why you have to be hassled by the police for.

It's because, like it or not, there are far too many youths out there late at night doing nothing but terrorising places. Obviously a lot are innocent and not doing any harm but there are a lot that are just out to cause trouble.

I don't live in a particularly bad area but I'd say the vast majority of youths out late are up to no good, you just have to look at the amount of bus stops and telephone boxes smashed.

We have to put a stop to it somehow.

My daughter's 14 and I'd hate to think she could be arrested walking home from work tonight at 9.15.The vast majority of youths I know are no worse behaved than we were(Indeed I'd say my daughter and her friends are somewhat better than me).It sounds too close to a return to 'suss' laws imo

It's not like that round the country though unfortunately. I'm sure your daughter is very well behaved as are a lot of kids but far too many kids are following bad crazes. How many news stories are there these days involving youths just assaulting people for the hell of it and then recording it on mobile phones etc? You hear quite a few and there is a lot more stories of vandalism and all round scandalous behavior.

I'm only 20 but there was nothing remotely as bad when I was at school so I'm all for this stricter attitude from the Police.

Look what happens when you take away corporal punishment and any way of controling young people you breed kids like science.

Who when challanged for bad behaviour just say "so what you going to do about it"

I had a beer nicked from a box I was carry to a BBQ by a 13 ish year old girl, and my mate stopped me trying to get it back as I might get done for it ,.,... as I keep saying the law is an ass,

I always said when I was in school that I'd be in favour of corporal punishment returning to schools.

Yes, the government has took away far too much punishment. Kids think they can get away with anything these days, and if you say anything back to them, "you touch me, and i'll get yah done". Nice work there labour.