Youths who congregate outside shops, intimidating staff and customers, could be taken to court as part of a get tough stance against anti-social behaviour.
Traders are so fed up with youths loitering outside their premises, they have formed a Shopwatch group, aimed at keeping trouble at bay.Under Shopwatch, any individual who is banned from one shop is automatically banned from entering any of the other stores signed up to the scheme.
Managers at Tesco, Lidl, Rhythm and Booze and several other shops in Brigg formed the organisation after seeing customers driven away in fear by gangs congregating on shop fronts. And organisers hope all the town's stores will eventually sign up to the scheme.
"They have been harassing shop workers and harassing customers. Sometimes older people feel too threatened to use shops and they go elsewhere.
"Shopkeepers don't want to ban them, but these people are frightening customers."
The banning process will be a last resort for those who cause problems, and will only be issued if a police warning is ignored.
Brigg's shopkeepers are currently working with police to identify the youths guilty of anti-social behaviour. Once this is done, an officer and a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) will make home visits and issue a formal warning and letter. If this is ignored, a ban will be issued.
Mr Bates said: "This threat to ban has happened because the shop owners are exasperated by their own staff being intimidated at work.
Mr Bates added: "They are ready to work together to tackle the problems - bans will be enforced and they are not to be taken lightly."
And he warned those subjected to a ban could eventually be issued with an ASBO if they continued to misbehave.
"If behaviour isn't moderated after a ban, then we will take matters further and can take action through the courts," said Mr Bates.
Pc Stephen Wash, who is involved with Shopwatch, said it would help officers deal with anti-social behaviour.
"Shopwatch is all about communities standing together and saying they will not accept this behaviour any more," he said.
Tina Newmarch, manager of Rhythm and Booze, welcomed the crackdown on troublemakers.
"It was an issue we had with youths aged about 16 or 17 hanging around outside the shop. It puts people off from coming in," she said.
"If all the other stores are doing it, we stand a better chance of saying 'We don't want you standing outside our shops' than if we are on our own."
And Dianne Grasby, personnel manager for Tesco in Brigg, said the store had encountered problems with kids hanging about.
"They loiter and they are disruptive at the front of the store," she said.
"They eat and drink and then throw litter about. And if you say anything to them, they get abusive."
Kerry Powell, district manager for Lidl, was similarly enthusiastic about the initiative.
She said: "I think it's really important for the security of our customers and the staff as well.
"It was getting to the point it was affecting customers coming into the store, and the area was getting really scruffy as well.
"So we thought we would get together and police it ourselves."
The scheme has run successfully in Scunthorpe's Westcliff Precinct since July 2004.
Bans there have reduced problems with theft, threatening behaviour and even physical attacks.
A Westcliff shop worker, who did not wish to be named, said: "Things were very bad here before the scheme was introduced. Things came to a head when there was a robbery and the guy carrying it out was brandishing a syringe," she said.
"I'd say Brigg shops have done the right thing - the ban keeps trouble away and makes a massive difference, because of the impact on those who get banned."
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