The group of youths who terroristed your town

She has told how the youths were guilty of:

- Shoplifting

- Bullying

- Graffiti

- Thefts

- and even beatings.

He fell into crime at the age of just 15.

The mother-of-three decided to speak out after government minister Hazel Blears visited Hastings last week and said the courts need to get tougher.

The mum agrees.

She claims that courts have been far too soft, and the thugs laugh at the criminal system.

She asked to remain anonymous to protect the identity of her younger children who have suffered enough because of her eldest son's criminal actions.

She said: "Magistrates need to stick by their threats.

"If they tell someone the next time they appear in court they will be sent to prison, they need to do that.

"It is a waste of time to fine children who are not working.

"'No-one enforces court orders and if kids do turn up they do nothing but chat and drink hot chocolate.

"Jail or visible hard labour is the only answer."

Two years of court appearances, community orders and an anti-social behaviour order gave her son, now 19, chance after chance, which he ignored.

Even a personal plea from his mum to send him to prison as his violence escalated was ignored by magistrates.

She said: "I was worried there would be one punch too many. When I found out he had hurt someone I had to report him."

It was not until he was 17 the court's finally imprisoned him for two months - but it was too short to make an impact outside prison or receive treatment inside.

He continued his criminal life, playing the system, until late last year when he was arrested for breaching his ASBO and sent to Eastbourne Magistrates who remanded him in custody. He was sentenced to prison and released in November.

His mum said: "I didn't want him to be sent down. He is my son and I love him. But he had to be punished.

"It wasn't an easy option but it was the right one and it was about time.

"It wasn't just a sentence for him though, it was for our whole family. Visits were horrendous and degrading. I thought about him in there and the horror stories. I was sobbing as we were body searched. I cuddled him so much when we left he was strip searched. But since then he has been behaving himself.

"If the courts had sent him to prison earlier he might have straightened himself out.

"We asked for help but there was nothing for parents. We need to show kids their actions are not acceptable and they will be punished. Really punished."