Juvenile offenders could face on-the-spot fines for antisocial behaviour, home secretary David Blunkett said last week.

Since a pilot scheme was introduced in August, adult offenders in the West Midlands, Essex, Croydon, and parts of north Wales have faced on-the-spot fines of £40 for offences such as being drunk and disorderly or wilful obstruction, and £80 for using threatening behaviour or wasting police time.

During the Queen's Speech debate in the House of Commons last week, David Blunkett gave his support to on-the-spot fines being extended to cover juveniles.

Labour MP for Knowsley North and Sefton East George Howarth asked Blunkett if he would "take note" of Merseyside chief constable Norman Bettison's suggestion of extending the fixed penalty scheme to cover young people. "The chief constable has a good point. We should consider doing that," Blunkett said, adding that proposals should be drawn up on that basis.