Projects designed to tackle youth crime will be given a £218m cash boost, children's secretary Ed Balls has announced.

Balls said that an expansion of Family Intervention Projects will help tackle potential troublemakers by signing them up to good behaviour contracts.

Up to 1,000 badly behaved youngsters will be made to sign the contracts with a criminal record given to those who break them.

Drug treatment or other suitable help would be assigned to the individual by an "assertive and persistent" case worker.

A full anti-social behaviour order would be given to those who refuse to co-operate with a voluntary agreement.

Balls told a meeting in Tower Hamlets attended by social workers, police chiefs, and reformed young tearaways, that he is committed to introducing Asbos for younger people.

He said it is crucial to stop bad behaviour in very young children to prevent them growing up into a life of crime.

Balls said: "Recognising these problems doesn't condone bad behaviour - nor is help a soft option.

"In the end, where young people and families don't accept help to change their behaviour then the right thing to do is to use anti-social behaviour orders and individual support orders.

"Communities want lasting improvements and that means not only stopping bad behaviour when it occurs but also changing it and intervening early to stop bad behaviour spiralling into future offending."

Local authorities will bid for £13m to run 20 intensive youth support projects, part of the youth taskforce action plan.

Children minister Beverley Hughes said: "We know that the best form of cure is prevention. We can spot early warning signs in young people and families where things are going wrong - poor parenting, lessons skipped, and complaints about behaviour.

"To change, rather than just contain, we need tough action on the underlying problems alongside tough enforcement."

Speaking on GMTV, Hughes said: "Parents can volunteer their children for this. Where a parent comes forward and says 'I know there is a real problem', we will help them.

"In some parts of the country and in some areas there has been a breakdown in family life to the extent that some parents do say they do not know how to control their kids.

"We are saying very clearly today it needn't be like this. If police and schools and social workers identify the 50 most troublesome young people in an area we can get a grip on them."