CALLS are being made for unruly students in Southampton to be given Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs).

Residents in the Polygon area are urging council and police chiefs to consider placing persistent offenders under the restrictions.

They are normally served on teenagers in the city, prohibiting certain forms of behaviour and even barring them from entering designated areas.

Householders in the Polygon, which has scores of students living there, say drunken late-night behaviour is making their lives a misery.

Southampton Itchen MP John Denham said the ASBOs would be a way of trying to keep students who cause problems under control.

"Undoubtedly Anti-Social Behaviour Orders could be placed on students who are prosecuted or are a nuisance to their neighbours or the local community, just as they can be imposed on other people.

"Anti-Social Behaviour Orders could well be used and I think it's something we should press the council and police to take seriously."

Mr Denham made the comments at a meeting of the Freemantle, Banister Park and Polygon Community Action Forum.

Committee member Marcia Baker said: "We are sick and tired of them being drunk and disorderly and upsetting the community so we would like to know if Anti-Social Behaviour Orders could be placed on them."

A spokesman for Southampton City Council confirmed that the authority would consider using ASBOs against unruly students if it was felt that was the best way of addressing the problems.

Andy Wilson, president of Southampton University's Student Union, said it was wrong to "demonise" students.

"There are local residents and local youths that do the same thing and students are being used as a bit of a scapegoat."