By Neal Wallace

Police will be forced to act on anti-social behaviour should they receive complaints from five households about another resident, the government has said.

Home secretary Theresa May has said that the new "community trigger" will stop the stories of victims reporting the same problem over and over again.

Labour has dismissed the proposals, which are set to come into force in England and Wales, claiming that they are "belated and weak".

The announcement follows an outcry over a mother who killed herself and her disabled daughter after being subject to continuous harassment by youngsters.

Fiona Pilkington had reportedly complained to the police at least 33 times about the treatment she and her 18-year-old daughter were receiving, but an Independent Police Complaints Authority found that officers had failed to take "robust action".

A dispersal order, aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour, was launched last year in parts of Plymouth.