The Mosquito is losing its bite

A device, which is used to disperse congregating teenagers by emitting a high-pitched whine should be banned, according to children’s campaigners.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is thought to back the device, while several UK police forces have bought the Mosquito and shopkeepers staunchly oppose scrapping them.

The gadget is only audible to under 20s and so prevents youths congregating and engaging in anti-social behaviour.

Last year Lancashire joined other council’s in refusing to support the use of the £495 ultrasonic deterrent, claiming the gadget penalises innocent children and infringes their human rights.

Liberty is suggesting that teenagers could challenge the use of the device under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act which requires a local authority to investigate “noise emitted from a premises” that is a nuisance, and issue an ‘abatement notice’ if a nuisance is found.

There are estimated to be 3,500 of the devices in use but a new campaign called “Buzz off”, led by the Children’s Commissioner Professor Sir Albert Aynsley-Green and backed by groups including Liberty, is calling for them to be scrapped. It claims parents have also questioned its long-term effects on children’s hearing.

The Mosquito is manufactured by Compound Security Systems who say there are no medical side effects and does not infringe an individual’s human rights.

Mr Aynsley-Green said: “The use of measures such as these is simply demonising children and young people, creating a dangerous and widening divide between the young and the old.”