KENT BANS MOSQUITOS!

The Mosquito

Kent County Council has banned the "Mosquito", a device which uses high frequency sounds to disperse young people, amid concerns it infringes children's human rights.

It causes discomfort to young ears, but the noise is above the normal hearing range for most people over the age of 25.

Putting out a pulsed high frequency audible only to youths, who find the sound very unpleasant, the Mosquito has been acclaimed by many police forces throughout the UK.

Housing Authorities, Police, Councils, shops and domestic users have all benefited from a decrease in loitering once the Mosquito was installed.

Gloucestershire, Merseyside, Staffordshire and many other forces have deployed the device in problem areas with excellent results.

In Lancashire, 60 callouts to one problem area in 2 months before the Mosquito was installed fell to just three calls in the 2 months after it was deployed and at an approximate cost of £300 per callout the savings in cash and police time are exceptional and obvious!

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), which represents 33,000 local shops, has said the device can be useful in fighting anti-social behaviour.

An estimated 3,500 of the devices are now in use in England in shopping centres, parks and shops since being introduced in January 2006 and have proved such an effective way of dispersing troublesome youngsters that ***

But critics claim it demonises young people and is a symptom of a hardening attitude against youngsters.

Councillors in Kent said they approved a ban on installing them on the authority's buildings after debating the issue with their youth members.

They felt there was a contradiction in their duty to represent young people and respect their views, and they now plan to lobby central Government to press for a nationwide ban.

Community services Cabinet member Mike Hill said: 'These devices are abhorrent and give completely the wrong message to our young people.

'The noise may result in youngsters moving away from an area when there is no need for them to do so because they are causing no harm.'

The Children's Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green, launched a 'Buzz Off' campaign earlier this year against the Mosquito, saying it was indiscriminate and created a divide between young and old.

Last year, Kathleen Marshall, the Children's Commissioner in Scotland, launched a similar scheme north of the border after saying its use would not be tolerated for any other section of society.

The National Autistic Society has also voiced concern about the effects the device may have on people with autism, as many affected by it may become alarmed.

Alex Gask, legal officer for human rights group Liberty, said: 'Liberty welcomes the decision of Kent County Council to ban the Mosquito.

'Other councils across the country should follow its lead and listen to the many decent young people who are subjected to this offensive sonic weapon.'

(Kent bans Mosquitos!)

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