Nowhere to go

Photo: Paul Sterritt

Evening Chronicle reporter Robbie Gill talks to teenagers in Royton.

AFTER recently spending an evening with the police as they tackled anti-social behaviour, reporter Robbie Gill spoke to teenagers on the streets

THERE are two sides to every story, so I hit the streets to see how teenagers targeted by the borough-wide crackdown on anti-social behaviour (ASB) felt.

Operation Tuscan targets specific hotspots every Friday and Saturday, with police monitoring incidents of ASB and talking to Homewatch coordinators to decide which areas to patrol.

Hotspot include Royton precinct, Hollins Road, Higher Memorial Park, Failsworth, Shaw market, Tandle Hill Park and Oasis Academy Oldham.

After arriving at Royton precinct I found a group of young people sitting on benches and riding scooters in the middle of the shops and pubs.

They didn’t appear to be doing anything untoward and were happy to give their views on the operation.

One 15 year old said he felt the police had more important priorities than targeting children on the streets and believed they weren;t doing anything wrong.

He said they felt uncomfortable being out in the parks late at night and that he had been moved on from Royton centre for being in a group considered too big.

Officers involved in Tuscan confirmed groups of young people will be asked to move on based on the reports received and the way they react to the police presence.

No specific group size is “too big”, but new powers allow officers to ban individuals from a specific area for up to 48 hours. Youths in Royton have been reported for climbing on shop roofs and terrorising the public by throwing eggs and stones.

A 14 year old said adults drinking in pubs cause more noise and disturbances than they do - and that often spills out on the streets. Young people, he said, have nowhere else to go and nothing else to do.

The police can have a dual impact according to PC Mark Dyer. While they often deter potential offenders, they can sometimes encourage youths to play up.

Another 14 year old confirmed that young people are forced to hang around on the streets because of a lack of places to go.

Talking to the youngsters, it was clear they didn’t feel they were breaking any laws being out on the street - and from what I saw they weren’t causing problems.

Though they understood why officers were tackling anti-social behaviour, they felt they should target more serious crime and deal with themselves through engagement rather thanthan dispersal.

l Is there really nothing for the youngsters to do? Do you have a different opinion?

Email Robbie Gill on robbiegill@oldham-chronicle.co.uk