Jail threat for tearaway brothers

Brothers Tom, 19, and Chris Opio, 15, stood side by side in court as magistrate Ken Hopkins served them with an Anti Social Behaviour Order yesterday.

The case was brought by Brighton and Hove City Council, its eighth since the orders began in 2001.

The brothers have been under an interim ASBO for the last six weeks and admitted they had been part of a group of youths who have been making residents lives a misery near their homes in Clayton Road, Brighton.

Magistrates were shown a long list of complaints about the group of troublemakers made to police and housing officers by neighbours.

Residents said a three-piece suite had been set on fire in their street, street signs had been pulled down and youths had vandalised the neighbourhood.

No evidence linking the brothers to specific crimes was presented to Brighton magistrates but the teenagers admitted they had been involved in anti-social behaviour near their homes.

Barrister Simon Hamilton, defending, said: "What we have been provided with is a list of suggestions but no evidence."

However, magistrates imposed a two-year anti-social behaviour order on Tom Opio, while his brother was placed under an order for three years.

Tom Opio must not be in a public place after 11.30pm and Chris Opio was restricted to a 10.30pm curfew.

Afterwards, Chris Opio said: "Everything gets blamed on us.

"We are being victimised because we are the only two black ones so people recognise us."

The teenagers' mother Leslie Opio, 43, said: "There is always a big group of them but my two always seem to be singled out, probably because they are clearly visible.

"But it could have been a lot worse. They could have evicted us."

Council solicitor Angharad Hughes said: "We are not singling these two out.

"If we were given more names then we would be more than happy to act on the information.

"Realistically, the fact that they are mixed race is probably why these two have been identified, just as two girls would be among a group of lads."