Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the decline reflected the success of early interventions - such as acceptable behaviour contracts and parenting orders - in "nipping problems in the bud".

However, the opposition parties said the fall amounted to an admission that the strategy, introduced by then Home Secretary Jack Straw in Labour's first term in office, had failed.

The latest Home Office figures showed the number of Asbos being issued in England and Wales had fallen from a peak in 2005 of 4,123 to 2,706 in 2006. At the same time, Ms Smith highlighted the rising number of anti-social behaviour interventions, which had now reached a total of 26,675 compared to 7,444 when the survey began in 2003/04.

"The figures I have published are further evidence of the progress we have made," Ms Smith said in a keynote speech in London. "Where tough enforcement is needed it is happening, but we are getting in there early, nipping problems in the bud and putting a stop to them before they get of out control."

She said the courts would now be required to consider making a parenting order when issuing Asbos to 10-17 year-olds.

But shadow home secretary David Davis claimed the real reason for the fall in the number of Asbos was the increasing numbers that were being breached.

He said the Home Office's own figures showed the average rate of orders breached had risen from 47% in the period 2000/05 to 49% in 2000/06.

"Despite the Home Office's spin, the real reason the Government are giving up on Asbos is because of their appalling breach rate," he said. "The Government's answer is to replace them with acceptable behaviour contracts. National Audit Office figures show these are breached by almost two-thirds of under-18 year olds.

"The Government is repeating the same failed strategy under a new name."



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