Parents urged: Be responsible for your children
PARENTS in the Birkenside area of Gorebridge have been asked to ensure their children are not engaging in antisocial behaviour.
Birkenside Community Partnership chairman Councillor Jim Muirhead has also asked that anyone who witnesses intimidating behaviour reports it to the police.
Over the past few months a large group of youths has been congregating in the area and residents have been exposed to abusive language and sectarian chants, often into the early hours of the morning.
The youths are regularly drunk and have been responsible for smashing bus shelter windows, urinating in the shelters and even in the middle of the road.
A number of vehicles have been damaged in the last few months, while bottles have been smashed and bins overturned.
At the end of September the community noticeboard was smashed after being punched by a local youth, leaving blood splattered over the glass shards.
In an open letter to local residents, Councillor Muirhead said young children are being forced out of the park due to such behaviour and many dog walkers are having to pick up glass from areas youngsters play in.
Some residents have been on the receiving end of taunts. Councillor Muirhead said: "Some of this has been racist in nature and is completely unacceptable in any community and particularly in a small, close community like Birkenside."
He has discussed the issue with the police inspector who has agreed to use the Community Action Team to tackle the problem in addition to normal resources. Midlothian Council has also agreed to use Gorebridge community wardens to assist the police.
The council is to introduce a policy of automatically charging the perpetrators, or their parents, for the full cost of any damage to its property.
Efforts to tackle the problem have been supported by Gorebridge Community Council.
Councillor Muirhead stressed in his letter that while most young people in Birkenside are behaving well, he is concerned over the number of younger children copying the negative behaviour. The councillor said he had heard of at least one 13 year-old who had been trying to get adults to buy alcohol for them.
He said: "Birkenside has been a good community to be brought up in, yet we now have people who are considering selling their houses because they are fed up with some of our own people who are throwing our efforts back in our face. Hopefully over the next few weeks we will see an improvement in the situation and a return to normality that we all want.
Community Inspector John McGill said the CAT team provided a robust police presence in Birkenside, Woodburn and Danderhall last weekend, making a significant impact on antisocial behaviour.
On Friday, police confiscated three bottles of wine, seven bottles of Buckfast, 11 litres of cider and 42 cans of lager from youths in Birkenside.
The Community Inspector emphasised the youths involved were local, and added: "Parents need to ask themselves where their children are in the evening, and what they have been doing, especially when they come back smelling of alcohol.
http://www.midlothianadvertiser.co.uk/news/Parents-urged-Be-responsible-for.3360817.jp
Over the past few months a large group of youths has been congregating in the area and residents have been exposed to abusive language and sectarian chants, often into the early hours of the morning.
The youths are regularly drunk and have been responsible for smashing bus shelter windows, urinating in the shelters and even in the middle of the road.
A number of vehicles have been damaged in the last few months, while bottles have been smashed and bins overturned.
At the end of September the community noticeboard was smashed after being punched by a local youth, leaving blood splattered over the glass shards.
In an open letter to local residents, Councillor Muirhead said young children are being forced out of the park due to such behaviour and many dog walkers are having to pick up glass from areas youngsters play in.
Some residents have been on the receiving end of taunts. Councillor Muirhead said: "Some of this has been racist in nature and is completely unacceptable in any community and particularly in a small, close community like Birkenside."
He has discussed the issue with the police inspector who has agreed to use the Community Action Team to tackle the problem in addition to normal resources. Midlothian Council has also agreed to use Gorebridge community wardens to assist the police.
The council is to introduce a policy of automatically charging the perpetrators, or their parents, for the full cost of any damage to its property.
Efforts to tackle the problem have been supported by Gorebridge Community Council.
Councillor Muirhead stressed in his letter that while most young people in Birkenside are behaving well, he is concerned over the number of younger children copying the negative behaviour. The councillor said he had heard of at least one 13 year-old who had been trying to get adults to buy alcohol for them.
He said: "Birkenside has been a good community to be brought up in, yet we now have people who are considering selling their houses because they are fed up with some of our own people who are throwing our efforts back in our face. Hopefully over the next few weeks we will see an improvement in the situation and a return to normality that we all want.
Community Inspector John McGill said the CAT team provided a robust police presence in Birkenside, Woodburn and Danderhall last weekend, making a significant impact on antisocial behaviour.
On Friday, police confiscated three bottles of wine, seven bottles of Buckfast, 11 litres of cider and 42 cans of lager from youths in Birkenside.
The Community Inspector emphasised the youths involved were local, and added: "Parents need to ask themselves where their children are in the evening, and what they have been doing, especially when they come back smelling of alcohol.
http://www.midlothianadvertiser.co.uk/news/Parents-urged-Be-responsible-for.3360817.jp
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