EXPERTS from Kirklees Council have been sharing tactics for tackling yobs with anti-social behaviour workers from all over Yorkshire.

Sixteen staff from the council's community safety unit and Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing took part in a Home Office conference in Leeds.

Members of West Yorkshire Police were also at the event.

Council staff, court workers and police exchanged ideas in workshop groups.

Bill Swap, Kirklees Council anti-social behaviour co-ordinator, was at the event.

"It was a chance to get an update, but more importantly to find out where people are having problems," he said.

"There may be problems which we have solved in Kirklees, so we can help others out.

"There are also issues none of us can resolve and those are the ones we can pass to the Home Office to look at."

The Home Office also invited delegates to discuss new powers brought in by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 last year.

The act gives police and councils more powers to tackle nuisance behaviour, graffiti, truancy, noise pollution fly-tipping, and replica weapons.

Mr Swap said Kirklees Council was keen to test the new powers, which are being phased in this year.