Dangerous craze puts lives at risk

Sophie Whitehouse said as well as playing chicken in the road and on the railway line, the latest stunt was to climb a roof and run along it.

"Several children in Adur had been caught doing it and when I informed their parents, they had no idea what their children were involved in," she said.

"They might not care that their children are intimidating the public with anti-social behaviour, but most are bothered that they are risking their lives by getting involved with this sort of thing."

Sophie, who is based at Shoreham police station and works with Adur council, the police, fire brigade and youth service, is also writing to all parents whose children are stopped by the police in a new tougher campaign.

She said early intervention was the key to preventing wayward children ending up with anti-social behaviour orders.

"In the past when a child has been stop checked by the police, a form was filled in and filed away," she said.

"Now I am writing to all the parents of children who are stopped to inform them where they were and what their child was up to.

"With the sleepover culture where children especially teenagers sleep over at friend's houses, parents often don't realise their child maybe out late, drinking or what they are getting up to.

"If the same names keep appearing with the stop and check forms, we can nip the behaviour in the bud and work with the families to sort out problems.

"It often means we don't have to go down the route of the "good behaviour" contracts and ultimately an anti-social behaviour order.

"We are also sending a warning parents that with the Christmas holidays fast approaching, do they know where your child is?

"With curfews relaxed, sleepovers, and young people having more cash, parents need to think about whether their kids have access to alcohol, which is often the root of most anti-social behaviour."

Sophie, who previously worked in the domestic violence unit in London's tough borough of Tower Hamlets, is urging residents to call Adur's hotline on 01273 263356 to report any anti-social behaviour.

It is a 24-hour answer phone and calls will be returned within 48 hours.

A national audit report recently found that 19.3 per cent of Adur residents think anti-social behaviour is a problem.