Ms Maclean said, “In Dundee, people have been recruited and trained as community wardens, and our experience is growing in the use of the new laws which have been given to the city council, Tayside Police and their partners.

“Over the next 12 months I’d like to see the new laws being used more and more to tackle anti-social behaviour in Dundee.

“We need to send a clear signal to those who are causing misery and disrespecting our communities that we will no longer tolerate their behaviour.”

The Executive’s report shows that more than 1800 fixed-penalty notices have been issued by Tayside officers since the trial began on April 1.

The fines were introduced as part of the Anti-social Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004, which made a raft of measures available to police and other agencies.

Courts in Dundee have issued 10 community reparation orders and three electronic monitoring orders for people under 16 through the Children’s Hearing system.

Warning notices were given to 32 vehicle owners to combat irresponsible driving, and three premises were closed under the new legislation.

Jill Shimi, leader of Dundee’s council administration, said, “We are acutely conscious of the impact anti-social behaviour has on local communities and we are committed to achieving a reduction in unacceptable behaviour.

“The new powers given to local authorities and our partners to tackle anti-social behaviour are welcome, and we have been working hard to implement these measures.”

A report on the legislation’s first year in force confirmed that 210 ASBOs were introduced in Scotland in 2004/05 — 42% up on the previous year.

Since the introduction of the Act, local authorities have become the first point of contact for people suffering from anti-social behaviour.

Across Scotland, each of the 32 councils, working in partnership with police, has been tasked with setting up strategies to deal with the issue.

Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson told a criminal justice system conference in Edinburgh that much had been achieved in the first year of the campaign.

“Failing to deal with anti-social behaviour creates a downward spiral even in thriving communities, and can put a stop to efforts to improve neighbourhoods that need most help,” she said.

“Left unchecked, anti-social behaviour undermines respect for both individuals and communities.”

She said the report was full of examples of how the needs of the law-abiding majority were being put first.

“The concentration on ASBOs has often masked the success of other measures — the closure of premises orders served on places operating as illegal drinking or drug dens; the noisy neighbours who turn the stereo down when asked to do so by the newly-created council noise abatement team.

“For too long, efforts to tackle ASB have been caricatured into a debate about prevention versus cure. It’s not.

“Our approach has to be prevention and intervention wherever possible, sanctions wherever necessary. It is changing behaviour that counts.”

Councillor Shimi said, “A great deal of valuable work is taking place locally to improve people’s lives, but we recognise that more can and must be done.

“We remain fully committed to building upon the success achieved in the last year and look forward to further progress in the year to come.”

A spokeswoman for Tayside Police said, “In the six months since the introduction of fixed-penalty notices for anti-social behaviour, police officers in Tayside have issued 1838 notices to offenders.

“The offences dealt with have included breach of the peace, consuming alcohol in a public place, urinating in a public place, and minor acts of vandalism.

“The issuing of fixed-penalty notices offers police a new, effective means of dealing with low-level anti-social behaviour, and they deliver a swift, simple and effective justice that also carries a deterrent effect.

“We are starting to see a reduction of anti-social behaviour in some areas and we believe this is in part due to the police having the ability to issue on-the-spot notices.

“It is already reducing the amount of time officers spend on paperwork and attending court, while simultaneously reducing the burden on the courts. This means officers spend more time on the street.”