A TEENAGER has launched a petition to protest against a device which emits a high-pitched noise to deter youths.

Norden and Bamford youth councillor Ben Robertson claims the noise boxes, called the Mosquito, infringe human rights and are discriminatory because they can only be heard by young people.

The 19-year-old former Oulder Hill Community School pupil is concerned that Mosquitoes, trialled in Norden last year, can be bought by the general public. He says this could result in young people being 'passed from pillar to post'.

He says the box, which has been described as making a sound like fingernails on a chalkboard, is so painful a person cannot be near it for any length of time.

He has now launched a website www.freewebs.com/anti-mosquito with an online petition which will eventually be presented to the human rights charity Liberty.

He said: "My concern is that people can buy them off the internet for £500 and put them outside their houses.

"It is a breach of human rights. If it was used on another age group there would be an uproar. It is being used as a weapon against young people."

The Mosquito was fitted in Norden outside Ashbourne Court Care Home to deter gangs from congregating and feedback has been positive.

One shop manager, who used to have problems with yobs hanging around at the back of his shop, said that anti-social behaviour had ceased and he was no longer finding litter and graffiti.

But Mr Robertson believes that there should be alternative ways to solve the problem of anti-social behaviour.

Rochdale Council now owns five Mosquitoes and two are currently deployed in the Rochdale area.

They were recently upgraded from timer to noise-activated and are triggered by excess noise and activity.

Lee Durrant, operations manager for community safety, said the Mosquitoes are only used by the council as a last resort against extreme problems with anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and graffiti.

He said they are tested by scientists and there is no sufficient evidence that they can cause ear damage.

Mr Durrant said: "The general public have rights as well. When gangs are terrorising individual properties and people don't feel safe in their own homes we need to address that.

"Sometimes children think they are above the law and this is the only thing left for us to do. We have to adhere to strict protocol."