Communities will no longer have to go to the courts to evict "neighbours from hell" under government proposals published on Tuesday.

A consultation paper produced jointly by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the Home Office calls for new powers for local authorities "to evict tenants for persistent anti-social behaviour without requiring the community to give evidence in court against them".

Billed as "radical proposals" for social landlords to crack down on anti-social behaviour, the three-month consultation sets a out a three-step programme "upping the anti on neighbours form hell".

The new strategy will focus on eviction, prevention and rehabilitation.

Local authorities will have the power to introduce tenancies allowing for eviction for anti-social behaviour if the landlord thinks it appropriate.

And councils will have new powers to rewrite the terms of secure tenancies to bar yobs form social housing.

Launching the consultation, secretary of state Stephen Byers, called on social landlords to use the new measures.

"None of us should underestimate the sheer misery and disruption anti-social behaviour can wreak across neighbourhoods and the wider community. Persistent, serious, often criminal and racist behaviour cannot go unchecked," he said.

"Anti social tenants can seriously affect quality of life in neighbourhoods. This is why I want to introduce a speedy but fair regime to deal with such tenants.

But Byers said the government was not on an "eviction crusade".

"We are not on an eviction crusade, but where eviction is a necessary and proportionate response to anti-social behaviour, it must happen with all possible speed," he said.

"Alongside enforcement needs to go prevention and rehabilitation. We must make long lasting positive change to people's lives. Recognising the causes behind anti-social behaviour, and treating them, will go some way to doing this."

Home Office minister, John Denham, highlighted plans to widen the scope of anti-social behaviour orders.

"Through the Police Reform Bill I am aiming to change anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) legislation to greatly widen the scope and use of ASBOs. The changes will give communities even more power to tackle anti-social behaviour," he said.

"I welcome this consultation paper as another step in that process. We will work together to give communities the tools they need to build themselves a better future."