EIGHT young men accused of wreaking havoc in their community have had orders forcing them to behave extended.

The group are said to be members of a group calling themselves the Bengali Boys, who police said were making peoples' lives a misery in Stoneyholme and Daneshouse.

They were served with interim Anti-social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) by magistrates in September as part of a bid to protect the community.

And district judge Paul Firth yesterday extended the orders to last until a two-day hearing for full ASBOs in February.

The alleged behaviour of the gang has included attacking cars, fighting in the street, shouting abuse and trespassing in schools and community centres.

It's thought the move is the largest use of ASBOs against a single group in Lancashire -- if not the country.

The interim ASBOs have been designed to take quick and effective action against the troublemakers while a full order can be applied for.

Under the terms of the orders the group are forbidden from entering parts of Stoneyholme, from contacting other members of the group, from causing alarm and distress, from causing criminal damage, from assault and being in the possession of anything made as a weapon and from interfering with road signs.

If the order is breached in any way police have powers of arrest and a five year prison sentence can result.

The measures were taken after a joint meeting of police top brass and community leaders in the mainly Asian areas of Daneshouse and Stoneyholme earlier this year, which followed months of problems.

Police had already launched Operation Freelander, a series of high profile patrols, in response to calls from the community to tackle problems in the area, which included a recent attack on a teenage car driver.

The eight served with orders are: Ghulan Hussain, 18, of Burns Street; Foyez Uddin, 18, and Kashim Uddin, 18, of Gordon Street; Alhaj Mahmud, 21, of Throstle Close; Salim Baksh, 19, of Colne Road; and Masum Tahir, 19, of Cromwell Road.

Two others, aged under 18, cannot be named for legal reasons.

Proceedings against Azizal Hoque, 18, of Burns Street; Saghir Hussain, 21, of Gordon Street; Saheed Mohammed, 20, of Gordon Street and Tarjan Uddin, 23, of Brougham Street and a youth were withdrawn. The full hearing will be heard on February 3 and 4.