Parents of tearaway children could face eviction if they fail to stop their bad behaviour.

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) are being issued to youngsters aged ten to 18 who persistently harass and abuse neighbours or vandalise property.

One child has already been given a contract by police, Brighton and Hove Council and the East Brighton New Deal for Communities safety team, and several more will follow shortly.

If a youngster breaches the contract, the parents will be evicted. They can present themselves to the council but are likely to be considered to have made themselves intentionally homeless and will not be rehoused.

John Mitchell, the community safety team leader, said: "We want these children to recognise their behaviour is not appropriate and it can be intimidating for others. We must consider the position of victims whose lives have been made hell. They deserve to be protected."

Parents who refuse to sign the contracts also face eviction because anti-social behaviour breaches tenancy agreements. Their children could be issued with an Anti-Social Behaviour Order, sentencing them to prison for up to five years.

However, the community safety team, police and council aim to work with parents and support them in taking responsibility for their children.

Mr Mitchell said: "We will have two or three meetings with the parents and child before we issue the contract.

"We will negotiate with them so they feel they have some control and because we don't want to set them up to fail."

The six-month contracts are likely to make four or five prohibitions, such as "I will not throw stones" or "I will not harass my neighbours".

The community safety team adopted contracts after a successful pilot scheme by the Metropolitan Police in Islington, North London.

After 60 ABCs were issued, trouble on estates became "visibly absent" and parents clamped down on their children when eviction was suggested.

It is planned to eventually introduce ABCs to housing association tenants and owner-occupiers who have covenants in their leasehold or freehold.

Children under ten who commit anti-social behaviour run the risk of being issued with a Parental Control Agreement.

Sergeant Tony Lumb, who heads the police community safety team in the area, said: "These contracts give ownership of the problem to the individual. Rather than us telling people they can't do this or that we are pre-empting behaviour and they are acknowledging their guilt.

"We have groups of youths on estates doing this, that and the other. It is often the lack of parental control that is causing half the problems."