Ringleaders of a group of trouble- makers were yesterday handed ASBOs and had to sign contracts to stop them intimidating their Bradford neighbourhood.

The five, aged 15 to 19 and living in the Wapping area of the city, had persistently behaved badly over the past year, prosecutor Richard Winters told Bradford and Keighley magistrates.

Full ASBOs for two years each were ordered on Cameron Hall, 17, of Stanacre Place, Phillip Badwal, also 17, of Airedale Road and James Hall, 19, of Brookfield Road.

Conditions on their orders have banned them from using foul and abusive language, threatening words and behaviour in public and causing noise nuisance.

They were also banned from being together in a group and also in a group of two or more others in a public place.

A no-go zone was also drawn up on the left-hand side of Otley Road covering North Wing up to Cliffe Road and between Otley Road and Bolton Road – except for when they are with their parents or are using a single route in and out of their own addresses.

Lewis Faulding, 17, of Brookfield Road, and Leonard Badwal, 15, of Airedale Road, both signed an acceptable-behaviour contract.

The court heard Bradford’s anti-social behaviour team and neighbourhood policing officers had identified the five as ringleaders of a group causing distress in the community.

Four residents’ statements were read out in court because the people themselves were too afraid of reprisals to attend in person.

The court was told how the group would hang about outside shops in Prospect Road intimidating passers-by and stopping people from going into the corner shop and mini-mart.

As well as intimidating and harrassing people in the community, they would shout abuse at Police Community Support Officers.

The court also heard how they would play loud music in the streets and smoke drugs as well as drive cars recklessly.

On the first day of the hearing, proceedings had to be stopped a number of times for security to be called because of bad behaviour in the courtroom.