Michael Howard has promised that a Conservative government will force yobs to think twice before behaving irresponsibly.

The Tory leader, campaigning on law and order yesterday, promised to make troublemakers "fear the consequences of their actions".

Yobs aged under 17 would have their right to a driving licence delayed, and parents whose children persistently breached anti-social behaviour orders would be forced to "spend time at home with their kids" and could face a weekend in jail.

Labour responded by maintaining that courts already have the power to disqualify defendants from driving and "acceptable behaviour contracts" require parents to spend time improving the behaviour of their child.

Home secretary Charles Clarke accused Howard of opportunism, adding: "They clearly have no understanding of what Labour is already doing to tackle the yob culture and are inventing eye-catching headlines without any reference to the truth."