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Yobs ‘take over play area’

12:15pm Thursday 14th February 2008

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A NEW play area has been overrun by yobs just weeks after opening, a worried father has claimed.

The man, who does not wish to be named, said one of the youngsters loitering in the play area at Leverhulme Park, Breightmet, had made a cutting gesture and threatened to stab him.

The incident happened after he dropped off his six-year-old son at a karate lesson at Leverhulme Community Centre at about 6pm last Friday.

He reported it to police and is now calling for the play area, which opened last month and is aimed at children aged four to 12, to be locked at night.

The man said: "There must have been about 20 of them on the equipment in two different groups and I would say they were aged between 13 and 15.

"There was underage drinking going on and some of them had filled up coke bottles with lager. One of the lads just came up to me and made a cutting gesture. He said something under his breath which sounded like I'll stab you'."

The father said the park should be locked in case the problem worsens when the nights are lighter in summer.

The play area was created last year as part of a plan to extend the community centre at the park.

The extension included a new children's centre, which offers nursery facilities, health and ante-natal services, family support and employment training.

Breightmet ward member, Cllr John Byrne, said: "This is shocking. I will speak to the police about it and see if they can do extra patrols.

"At the moment, there is a 1.2-metre fence around the area, but if this continues we may have to look at something more secure."

A police spokesman said: "Just after 6pm on Friday, we received a report of youths drinking alcohol and being abusive in Leverhulme Park.

"Officers attended the scene at 7pm but the youths were not drinking or being too rowdy."


Your Say YourThe Bolton News

pip, bolton says...
12:17pm Thu 14 Feb 08

an hour later????

BoltonDave, Tonge Moor says...
12:18pm Thu 14 Feb 08

Well boogaloo and slappa ma thigh!
Iam highly shocked at this outrageous news.
I never would have thought anything like this could happen in Breightmet!

BoltonDave, Tonge Moor says...
12:19pm Thu 14 Feb 08

Well boogaloo and slappa ma thigh!
Iam highly shocked at this outrageous news.
I never would have thought anything like this could happen in Breightmet!

chas, suffolk says...
12:57pm Thu 14 Feb 08

Mosquitoes switched on during hours of darkness.

bobbie, Bolton says...
1:02pm Thu 14 Feb 08

hate to say it but....
people said from word go this would happen! But the council dont want to hear it

Mr Cooper, Derbyshire says...
1:08pm Thu 14 Feb 08

2008's playground thugs, 2012's Yates' regulars.

They don't drink themselves sterile, that's the biggest crime.

elliot, harwood says...
1:30pm Thu 14 Feb 08

Breightmet


says it all...

Tim, bolton says...
1:45pm Thu 14 Feb 08

Simple cure for this, you know whare these scroats hang out now, gather a gang with baseball bats and go and tan there backsides!

Missymoo, Bolton says...
2:20pm Thu 14 Feb 08

It’s the councillors and others in the council what claim this won’t happen when they create these new play areas… sadly it does and it amazes me how much they want them but won’t actually live near them!

As for the police, turning up in a hour is a miracle normally you would have to wait about 6 – it must have been a quiet evening for them! lol

Tim, bolton says...
2:43pm Thu 14 Feb 08

It is a crap society mate created by left liberals.

erichyland, says...
2:45pm Thu 14 Feb 08

If John stood. there wearing his 'concerned' face that should send out the message that this behaviour just will not be tolerated and must stop immediately or else.

erichyland, says...
2:50pm Thu 14 Feb 08

If John stood wearing his 'concerned' face that should send out the message that this behaviour will not be tollerated, or else.

someone, here says...
3:50pm Thu 14 Feb 08

The police turned up an hour later? The scum will have moved on by then to go and plague someone else. Like the elderly of equally vulnerable members of society. This happens in lots of places not just Breightmet.

numyead, bolton says...
4:00pm Thu 14 Feb 08

every park attracts idiots like this, they never learn the decent kids cant get on fro the idiots, connect the climbing frame to the mains electricity grid after 7pm

numyead, bolton says...
4:02pm Thu 14 Feb 08

lousy photoshopping as well !!

Tina, Bolton says...
4:10pm Thu 14 Feb 08

numyead wrote:
every park attracts idiots like this, they never learn the decent kids cant get on fro the idiots, connect the climbing frame to the mains electricity grid after 7pm
Ha ha, not at all practical unfortunately, it could be quite funny to witness though!

disappointed, farnworth says...
4:15pm Thu 14 Feb 08

scroats and baseball bats, how do these youths stand a chance in learning how to live in a society, when the other members of society treat them in this manner, what had they done wrong? oh yes made a gesture and said something that sounded like a threat but the gentleman concerned only thought he had heard a threat! next we will be pulling down pubs in order to stop the drunks and bingo halls to stop the gamblers,.

mrfusion, Notlob says...
5:27pm Thu 14 Feb 08

So the Police attended the scene where one of the youths had threatened a chap to stab him... yet no arrests were made?

Am i missing something?

numyead, bolton says...
5:35pm Thu 14 Feb 08

dissopinted

if they behave this way then they have opted out of societys rules, people dont give them respect because they dont earn it, they are simply feral gangs left to run wild by idiotic parents who are swigging beer with one hand and using the plasma remote with the other

erichyland, says...
7:16pm Thu 14 Feb 08

If ever there was a non-story, this is it. Some-one, who doesn't want to be named claims that a youth made a cutting gesture at him. So what, Why did Rob Devey consider this newsworthy. If there is a story here it's the one that lays out that the general public will stand back and watch silly young children run around (as they always have done) and not intervien. These kids are not hardened criminals, do not belong to some internation underworld gangster outfit. They are just children and should be treated accordingly, which means walking up to them, asking them what they are doing and what else they would rather do. OK you will get a negative response but smile back (it may be the only one they've had all day) and ask them again. People are the same no matter what their back-ground. It's easy to be nice when you're looked after, but when all you get is abuse, then abuse is all you know.
We must keep on opening play areas (what's the alternative) and put an end to this silly idea that children gathered round under a street light are going to take over the world.

numyead, bolton says...
7:34pm Thu 14 Feb 08

erichyland

Id love to hear Gary Newloves familys response to your post.

SUE, bolton says...
8:05pm Thu 14 Feb 08

i have 2 teenage daughters and live near this area ! dont tar all teenagers with the same brush! perhaps if there was somewhere for teenagers to go there wouldnt be a pboblem. Yes i know there are hooligans too, but my girls get stopped all the time by the police and quizzed ( 1 was asked why she was loitering at a bus stop ! she was waiting for a BUS )

numyead, bolton says...
8:36pm Thu 14 Feb 08

same old excuse nothing to do
apart from Computers playstations, I pods , Bolton lads and girls club, Withins leisure centre, leverhulme leisure centre,

just cos theres nothing to do its ok to get tanked up and torment residents.

get the violin out

erichyland, says...
8:57pm Thu 14 Feb 08

numyead wrote:
erichyland Id love to hear Gary Newloves familys response to your post.
OK all children between 4 & 17yrs old or should that be 18 or 19. Oh I don't know let someone else decide, should not be allowed to ere, ere, do anything after 6 o clock, or should that be 7 or maybe half past. Oh just shoot them all, they are not worth bothering with. ( Only those on council estates of course)

Upsy Daisy, says...
9:19pm Thu 14 Feb 08

First things first.. Elliot - Harwood isn't much better.

It's unfortunate that this centre is mobbed by these kids, and might I add that this is during the daytime too, not just at night.
There are no lights in the car park and kids are whizzing about on bikes daring you to run them over.. tempting...

It's not great and to be fair as soon as my daughters school sort out their after school facilities she will be transferring over from Leverhulme.
The staff are lovely it's just a shame that the centre don't manage the play area, which seems to have been omitted from the report? The play area is managed by the council - the centre is managed by SERCO who have no authority to remove or enforce the removal of the young people.


numyead, bolton says...
9:42pm Thu 14 Feb 08

Nor have the council its up to the Police to disperse youth and confiscate drink.

you find about 130 of then down the road booking drivers

If they are casusing alar harresment or distress, or swearing- which is a public order offence, or have drink whilst being under 18 then they are commiting a crime, which of course makes them criminals. and as such should be dealt with.
its only because they get away with it they continue to be the way they are.

jonnyc, Farnworth says...
9:44pm Thu 14 Feb 08

I use the Centre regularly and want to meet some of you happy smiley ' it's not the kids fault' people to see you deal with these out of control kids. They use extremely colourful language which the parents of young children complain about in the Centre. They do threaten and intimidate visitors and I have 1st hand experience of their intimidation. I have seen them intimidate the staff who are trying to provide a service to the whole community not act as security guards because of a childish selfish few. Perhaps banananam Eric and his merry band of do gooders will be there tomorrow protecting the public with their superpowers because Friday night is Beer night for these kids. No school in the morning!

SUE, bolton says...
9:51pm Thu 14 Feb 08

numyead......... i would like to correct u ... MY GIRLS DONT GET TANKED UP AND TORMENT RESIDENTS !! nore do they sit glued to playstations

Upsy Daisy, says...
9:58pm Thu 14 Feb 08

jonnyc wrote:
I use the Centre regularly and want to meet some of you happy smiley ' it's not the kids fault' people to see you deal with these out of control kids. They use extremely colourful language which the parents of young children complain about in the Centre. They do threaten and intimidate visitors and I have 1st hand experience of their intimidation. I have seen them intimidate the staff who are trying to provide a service to the whole community not act as security guards because of a childish selfish few. Perhaps banananam Eric and his merry band of do gooders will be there tomorrow protecting the public with their superpowers because Friday night is Beer night for these kids. No school in the morning!
I agree with you!


numyead, bolton says...
10:11pm Thu 14 Feb 08

Sue at what stage did I suggest your girls indulge in antisocil behavior ? I was simply pointing out that having nothing to do is a catchall excuse for excusing the shocking conduct of some (but not all) young people. So I dont need correction thank you. often when kids are given something to do they wreck it.

The council/leisure centres/ youth workers are not a substitute for dontgive a **** parents and senior Police officers lack of commitment to samping down on this kind of conduct

numyead, bolton says...
10:14pm Thu 14 Feb 08

apparantly you cant say
D A M N sorry

Missymoo, Bolton says...
10:16pm Thu 14 Feb 08

numyead wrote:
every park attracts idiots like this, they never learn the decent kids cant get on fro the idiots, connect the climbing frame to the mains electricity grid after 7pm
Id pay to see that.... fantastic comment!

wifey, breightmet says...
11:57pm Thu 14 Feb 08

so a member of the public reported youths drinking and being abusive. why did it take the police so long to get there when the report included a threat of stabbing? im sorry but an hour is an hour too long. how many minutes did it take stabbing victims to bleed to death! police need to shape up, and take stabbing threats more serious then they already do!

wifey, breightmet says...
12:00am Fri 15 Feb 08

Missymoo wrote:
numyead wrote: every park attracts idiots like this, they never learn the decent kids cant get on fro the idiots, connect the climbing frame to the mains electricity grid after 7pm
Id pay to see that.... fantastic comment!
haha rofl. council can save money from doing the fireworks lol we can all be entertained by this lol as horrible as it sounds i was very amused. brilliant comment. can we chuck the drug dealers and theifs on? but turn the voltage up lol

wifey, breightmet says...
12:02am Fri 15 Feb 08

Missymoo wrote:
numyead wrote: every park attracts idiots like this, they never learn the decent kids cant get on fro the idiots, connect the climbing frame to the mains electricity grid after 7pm
Id pay to see that.... fantastic comment!
haha rofl. council can save money from doing the fireworks lol we can all be entertained by this lol as horrible as it sounds i was very amused. brilliant comment. can we chuck the drug dealers and theifs on? but turn the voltage up lol

Comments are closed on this article.

CONCERNED: Cllr John Byrne wants more police patrols after complaints about the play area at Leverhulme Park CONCERNED: Cllr John Byrne wants more police patrols after complaints about the play area at Leverhulme Park

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