ELDERLY residents are too scared to leave their homes when yobbos take over a Horwich car park at night, it has been claimed.

Ivan Cooper, of the Horwich Conservative Association, said vulnerable old folk in Rivington House sheltered accommodation were terrified of local gangs of youths.

They congregated on nearby Horwich Clinic car park.

Mr Cooper said the youngsters were taking drugs, drinking, playing loud music and daubing graffiti on walls.

He said: "It's youths congregating in the evening causing chaotic trouble.

"Residents have been in touch with me and said they are afraid to go out in the evening when its dark."

He blamed the trouble on a lack of money spent on resources for youngsters in the area.

And he claimed the cash Bolton Council had spent on paying artists to brighten up run-down districts should have been given to youth projects.

Mr Cooper said: "I don't blame the youngsters because they have nowhere else to go because of Bolton Council's lack of funding for youth facilities in Horwich.

"If they allocated the money to proper needs rather than artistic codswallop then young people would have some direction in their lives."

He suggested youth clubs should be taken out of control by the education authority and allowed to bid for grants independently.

But Bolton Liberal Democrat councillor Barbara Ronson pinned the blame for the lack of cash on policies of the former Tory government.

She said: "A lot of cuts have had to be made to come into line with the government.

"For a Tory to complain about lack of facilities is rich.

"It will take a long time to make right the cuts the Tories made in areas other than just keeping the schools funded."

She said the town council had asked Bolton Council to keep the car park swept of litter and community police were aware of the situation.

She said there was a youth club at Fox Street and most churches in Horwich had their own youth groups.

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