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Most of us are so used to seeing For Sale boards scattered around our neighbourhoods that we don't even notice them anymore - they are as much a part of the scenery as road signs and house numbers - but some councils have had enough of the rash of boards posted all over their boroughs and are taking action of the most modern kind – ASBOs.

Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) are most associated with teenage hoodies making a menace of themselves on our streets. But now, they have been extended to estate agents in the form of 'retail ASBOs,' to try and curtail those who plaster areas with for sale signs on UK properties.

Whilst genuine for sale boards are acceptable, some agents are pushing the boundaries and putting up these boards outside properties that they are not even selling, in a bid to attract publicity and interest.

Harrow and Islington councils are eager to hand out warnings to these agents and will make use of the Responsible Retailer Agreement to do so.

The RR agreement, which was intended to prevent shops blocking the pavements with rubbish or products they are trying to sell, will now also be used to help stop these fake for sale signs.

Many local residents in the Harrow and Islington areas are constantly phoning the council to come and remove the signs and are getting tired of the way some agents are using the signs as billboard advertising on a product they have had nothing to do with.

Harrow Council's Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for environment and community safety, Susan Hall, said, "With a depressed housing market, estate agents' signs are hanging around on street corners in greater numbers and for longer than ever.

"However, a slump in housing sales is not a licence for dodgy estate agents to take a hammer and nails to any piece of the street they like for free advertising.

"If they do not obey the law, they will find us, and not new buyers, moving in," Ms Hall added.

Already, a handful of Harrow based estate agents have agreed to sign up to the Responsible Retailers Agreement, which lasts for one year. They will be in line for a penalty or legal action against them if they put up a for sale board on a road sign or the side of a wall without permission, or if they put one onto private property.

Buy your own 'ASBO' pack

Last year, house hunters were given the chance to buy £100 'ASBO' packs that revealed the amount of anti-social behaviour in their prospective area.

The report gave their prospective address an 'ASBO' rating, which include data on how many local youths are under curfew, information on youth and gang related nuisance, vandalism and damage to property, drug nuisance and dealing, prostitution and kerb crawling, dog and animal nuisance, harassment and intimidation, and litter, rubbish and fly tipping.