Complaints about antisocial behaviour in north-east communities have soared over a 12-month period, it emerged yesterday.

New figures show that 3,900 reports of bad behaviour from private householders and council tenants were made to Aberdeen City Council in 2009-2010, compared with 2,969 in 2008-2009.

Aberdeenshire Council received 1,607 complaints in 2009-10, contrasting with 1,099 in 2009-10.

Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker, who released the figures ahead of a visit to Aberdeen today by his colleague James Kelly who speaks on community safety issues, described the statistics as “concerning”.

The figures showed that the number of complaints made by people in the Hilton, Stockethill and Ashgrove area of the city increased from 264 in 2008-09 to 472 in 2009-10.

In the Torry and Cove areas reports rocketed from 135 to 305 over the same period.

Some 326 complaints were made in the Dyce, Bucksburn, Middlefield and Kingswells areas in 2009-10 compared with 169 the year before.

Aberdeenshire Council said complaints about noise increased from 350 to 358, dog fouling from 72 to 99 and drugs from six to 39 over the period in question.

Four antisocial behaviour orders were granted in Aberdeenshire in 2009-10 and one in 2008-09.

Mr Baker said: “It is concerning that in the north-east we are seeing increases in complaints about antisocial behaviour and not enough action from either Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire to deal with it.”

A spokeswoman for Aberdeen City Council said not all reports received were genuine complaints and they included calls about young children playing in the streets.

“Each case of antisocial behaviour is considered individually and in most cases problems can be resolved through discussion, medi- ation or warnings,” she added.

“When voluntary solutions are not effective or appropriate then enforcement action can be taken.”

A spokeswoman for Aberdeenshire Council said the number of complaints involving children and gangs decreased from 60 in 2008-09 to 22 in 2009-10 and reports of vandalism fell from 68 to 16 over the same period.

She said the trend is attributed to the council’s close working relationship with other agencies like the police.

An SNP Government spokesman said crime in Scotland has fallen to a near 30-year low, which has been greatly assisted by the recruitment of 1,000 extra police officers.