Devizes police are appealing to parents of the town’s trouble-making teenagers to be better parents and to teach their children how to behave properly.

Following another incident of anti-social behaviour in the town centre the police have issued the plea for responsible parenting, which has sparked a passionate debate from residents on the Devizes Police Facebook page.

On Friday night officers were called to a disturbance in Sidmouth Street following reports of anti-social behaviour in the area involving a large group of youths.

A 14-year-old boy was arrested and charged with assaulting an emergency worker and has been given bail conditions, including a home curfew, pending his sentencing at court.

It is one of many incidents of anti-social behaviour that have plagued the town centre in recent months and have caused residents to complain to the police.

The police have reassured the public that there will be more officers on the streets at weekends to “ensure the safety of the public and reduce the risk of disorder in Devizes” and have pointedly added: “We encourage all parents and guardians to engage with their children and educate them on how to act responsibly, to ensure that they keep themselves and the rest of the community safe.”

The Devizes police appeal has prompted a variety of opinions on its Facebook page, where one resident wrote: “It's the same brats that hang about smashing bottles, urinating on cars and shouting abuse at people around the back of market place every day.

"It's about time they got caught!”

But other residents are backing the police and, in posts, are pointing the finger at the parents of the troublesome teenagers.

“I'm sure it's probably the parents that need educating first,” wrote one and another added, “Some parents should be held responsible they should bring their cherubs up with that word RESPECT, it’s not hard.

"They always say there's nothing for them to do. Rubbish, we always played out without causing mischief.”

Police, town and Wiltshire councillors, church leaders, social workers, Mr Kruger and Mr Wilkinson are all currently in talks to try find a way to solve the headache of the town’s tearaway teens and one aspect of the problem is the lack of youth clubs, as another resident highlighted on the police page.

The problem of anti-social behaviour is expected to be discussed at tonight’s meeting of Devizes Town Council.