Discos will combat yobbish behaviour

1:17pm Thursday 10th April 2008

Comments (4)   Have your say »

POLICE, councillors and youth workers have joined forces to tackle anti-social behaviour in Calne.

The town hall will be transformed into a nightclub tomorrow with a house DJ, in a bid to keep teenagers off the streets.

Blues 'n' Zuz night, open to teens aged 12 to 16, started in Marlborough and Devizes three years ago.

The session aims to get young people off the street and to crack down on anti- social behaviour on the streets.

Police in Devizes noticed a dramatic drop in weekend incidents after the disco night launched.

Sgt Mark Rees of Calne police said: "From the figures released by Devizes we saw this was an excellent way to work with other agencies to put a stop to anti-social behaviour in the town centre.

"It is also somewhere for young people to go and we hope this disco will be the first of many."

The disco starts at 7pm and will finish at 9.30pm.

Organisers are organising free transport from Jockey Lane, Bromham, at 6.30pm, The Lymers,Yatesbury, at 6.45pm, Cherhill School in Middle Lane at 6.55pm, and the bus stop in Atcherley, Compton Bassett at 7pm.

Entry is £2 and organisers will dish out two iPod nanos to the best boy and girl dancer.

One person hoping the initiative will work is Face Off shop owner Sarah Truman, who says her staff are often too frightened to leave work because of rowdy youngsters who congregate on benches in the High Street.

She is calling for the benches to be taken away to stop attracting the youths, who she says have smashed the windows of her clothes shop threee times.

Mrs Truman said the benches attract groups of school children who buy food from the nearby kebab shop and intimidate passers by.

She said: "These benches are like a magnet for kids. They buy food from The Charcoal Grill and it is only natural they are going to sit on the benches.

"But the behaviour of some is unacceptable. They bounce balls off my shop window, fight, intimidate shoppers and throw their food around.The outside of my shop is an absolute tip.

"This happens every day and during the school holidays is even worse.

"The other day I came out of my shop and there was ketchup all over the walls and chips all over the floor.

"I have had staff members ringing me up at the end of the day saying they are too terrified to leave the shop because there are groups of teenagers congregating outside."