The situation in the county is so bad that victims of anti-social behaviour are being forced to take action themselves, it has been claimed.

New Home Office figures reveal more than two-thirds (71%) of ASBOs (anti social behaviour orders) slapped on 10 to 17-year-olds in Lancashire are being breached – 10% more than the national average.

Adults were not much better – with 41% of those breached too.

Now, 10 years after they were introduced, anti social behaviour orders were being still officially supported, but downplayed, by central government amid claims they have completely failed to tackle the spiralling yob culture.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has pushed for greater use of alternative "intervention" measures – including parenting orders and acceptable behaviour contracts.

One victim who agrees that ASBOS have failed is Fulwood resident Arthur Parkes, of Redsands Drive, who faced two assault charges against him in February when he took matters into his own hands and tried to stop youths starting a fight outside his home. The charges were thrown out by a judge.

He said: "The figures speak for themselves really. There's no way of monitoring them without the police going out and they say they don't have the resources to do that. People like myself are having to intervene."

Charlie Collinson is chairman of Garstang Cricket Club, which three years ago was hit by a spate of problems caused by a gang of youths.

Andrew Tallentire, now 20, of Quarry Bank, Garstang, and his friends were given ASBOs – which they simply ignored.

Mr Collinson said: "They were breaching their ASBOs by being in the town centre and they breached them many, many times. They were quite blatant about it really.

"I think part of the problem is, as with any legislation, it is only effective if people are going to enforce it."

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: "They clearly are not a deterrent and some people see them as a badge of honour. I think we want to go back to the drawing board."

Lancaster and Wyre MP Ben Wallace said: "The figures show that the ASBO system is becoming increasingly worthless when there's no sufficient custodial back-up."

There were 1,183 ASBO breaches between 2000 and 2006 in Lancashire – the fifth highest figure in the country behind Greater Manchester (2,999), Greater London (2,077), West Yorkshire (2,012) and West Midlands (1,489).

Breaching an ASBO – which stops offfender from committing specific acts – is a criminal offence, punishable by up to five years in jail.

The breach rate for over 18s in Lancashire was 41% – compared to the national average of 43% . A total of 185 offenders breached their ASBOs more than once in the county.

The number issued by the courts across the county is also falling with 115 in 2006, compared with 148 in 2005.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said the increasing number of breaches was the real reason for the fall in the number of ASBOs.