Anti-social behaviour should be dealt with when it happens said the Home Secretary but in too many cases people were complaining but nothing was being done.
The new proposals, described by Mrs May as "community trigger" will, she said "give individuals or local communities an opportunity to say the point has come where the police are required to do something, look into it, investigate, find out what's happening and take action."
The new anti-social behaviour white paper published today set out plans for six new sanctions to allow police and local authorities to deal with low-level criminality or nuisance behaviour. The new "streamlined" powers replace 19 previous sanctions covering everything from dropping litter to controlling dogs and dispersing yobs.
