TWO men have been banned from York's Chapelfields estate as part of a campaign to tackle hooliganism.

Interim antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) were imposed by York Magistrates yesterday against David Powell, 20, of Leeside, Dringhouses, York, and Kevin Scott, 22, of St Stephen's Road, Acomb, York.

The ASBOs bar them from entering an area bounded by the A1237 York Outer Ring Road, Grange Lane, Ridgeway and Wetherby Road. They are also banned from a stretch of Beckfield Lane and from behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

If they breach the orders, they could be jailed for up to five years. Hearings in respect of full orders will take place next year.

Sergeant Mike Stubbs, of the York Community Policing Team, which prepared the evidence for the ASBOs, said today that time and time again Chapelfields had hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons because of antisocial behaviour.

"The area doesn't deserve the reputation it has acquired," he said. "The vast majority of residents are law-abiding people who simply want to live their lives peacefully, without the unacceptable behaviour that a minority have inflicted on the community.

"We want to protect the residents of the Chapelfields area and banning these individuals from the estate was the only option left to us." He added that leaflets containing details of the orders would be circulated to all residents in the area.

Anti Social Behaviour Co-ordinator PC Alison Newbould, of the Safer York Partnership, warned that others would face action if they caused problems on the estate.

"Antisocial behaviour orders are just one option - there are a variety of measures we can take, including injunctions and eviction," she said. "We will make full use of the available legislation to deal with people who inflict misery on the community.'

Steve Waddington, assistant director of housing at City of York Council, said that while Powell and Scott were not council tenants, the orders showed a clear commitment that the authority would not stand by and let individuals carry out acts of antisocial behaviour with a detrimental effect on other residents.

Meanwhile, Powell's brother, Lee, could also be banned from Chapelfields when he appears before the crown court for sentence in January following a recent conviction for affray, committed in May 2004. The judge in his case has indicated he is planning to issue an ASBO.

Updated: 14:40 Tuesday, December 21, 2004