The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) think tank has called for parents of persistently anti-social children to have their benefits cut or face eviction from social housing, as part of a wider crackdown on Britain's rising lawlessness. The intervention comes amid growing public concern over disorder, including deadly gang violence in Middlesbrough last week that required more than 200 police officers to be deployed, and follows criticism that the justice system is failing to tackle anti-social behaviour effectively.

The CSJ's Hijacked High Streets report found that 41 per cent of adults experienced or witnessed anti-social behaviour last year, up from 35 per cent the previous year, while a separate poll found over half the public believe the justice system handles it poorly. Proposals include letting social landlords seek eviction over persistent anti-social behaviour, deducting unpaid fines from Universal Credit at 15 per cent of the standard allowance, three-month bans on face coverings in crime hotspots, and GPS tagging, curfews and high-street exclusion zones for repeat shoplifters, alongside facial recognition powers for retailers. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp and CSJ chair Sir Iain Duncan Smith both criticised the government's record, with the report also noting nine in ten "dodgy" high street shops remain open despite increased raids.