The first complaints of neighbourhood nuisance have been received by a 24-hour hotline which allows residents to 'shop a yob'.

Since its launch on February 28, the It's Your Call hotline has received more than 25 reports of antisocial behaviour, including complaints about drugs, and noise nuisance.

No-one has been arrested as a result, but Oxford City Council said action has been taken in response to most of the reports, with information passed on to the relevant departments and agencies.

It's Your Call was launched by Oxford City Council and the Home Office with the message that residents can make a difference to their own communities.

Residents are encouraged to report social problems, including crack houses and drug dealing, nuisance neighbours, prostitution and kerb crawling, intimidation and harassment, graffiti and vandalism, flytipping, abandoned cars, and aggressive begging.

But the Independent Working Class Association, which has three councillors in the city, has dismissed it as an attempt by New Labour to grab headlines.

IWCA councillor Claire Kent, who represents Wood Farm, criticised the phone line after it received 25 calls in its first 10 days.

She said: "It doesn't surprise me at all. I think people are so disillusioned now with the city council and police that they have given up. It's extremely sad. It's a total waste of money. I think it's just for the benefit of the election."

Susan Brown, Wood Farm councillor and the city's executive member for crime and community safety, said: "I can't see why anyone would object to people finding it easier to report antisocial behaviour. That is something that I, the council and the Government have been committed to for a very long time."

Ms Brown said 25 calls was "about what I would have expected".

She added: "It's going to take more time before it's more widely used.

"There are established channels for reporting things.

"I wouldn't expect there to be that many reports of the types of behaviour we are asking people to report."

A 24-hour call centre at Barton Neighbourhood Centre fields calls and passes on details to the relevant agencies, including the city council's Crime and Nuisance Action Team (Canact), police, environmental health, housing, probation service and social services.

The city council pledged that every incident of antisocial behaviour reported would be addressed.

A spokesman said: "There was clearly the need for a single telephone line where people can easily access the services that they require, and we welcome the calls that have been received."

Oxford is one of 25 Home Office antisocial behaviour 'action areas' and is getting extra funding and advice to tackle neighbourhood nuisance. Home Office Minister Hazel Blears said significant progress had been made towards reclaiming communities, but added: "We need the people of Oxford to play their part too, and take some responsibility for where they live."

The It's Your Call number is 0845 605 2222.