Dozens report snowball nuisance (From The Bolton News)

Dozens report snowball nuisance

9:05am Tuesday 22nd January 2013 in Local

POLICE in Bolton have been kept busy with dozens of calls from people reporting young people throwing snowballs.

Officers have received reports of them being thrown at homes, shops, cars and people since the snow arrived on Thursday night.

There were 36 incidents of inconsiderate behaviour involving snow in Bolton South which covers Farnworth, Kearsley and Little Lever. There were two incidents of criminal damage where snowballs thrown at homes had broken a window.

Bolton West saw 24 incidents, two of which escalated into a crime.

Officers are appealing for information about youths who hurled racist abuse at a shopkeeper when he went outside to tell them to stop throwing snowballs at the shop.

It happened at Bhojani off licence in Montserrat Road in Johnson Fold on Sunday night.

Insp Kevin Lister, of Bolton South neighbourhood policing team, said: “Anti-social behaviour always rises when it snows. The kids are off school and they are playing in the snow and throwing snowballs.

“It can be a bit of fun, but when throwing them at vehicles they do not realise how serious it can be.”

One resident, of Pilkington Road in Kearsley, who asked to remain anonymous, phoned police on Friday night after youths were throwing snowballs at her home for an hour.

She said: “It was very annoying and I didn’t want to go out and confront them as they were waiting to throw snow at me. They knocked the door and threw snow at the door when they thought I was going to answer it.

“I didn’t want to bother the police but I didn’t know what else to do.”

Bolton East also had 36 reports of nuisance behaviour involving snow, but none have resulted in crimes.

Sgt Warren Noblett said: “Throwing snow at vehicles can be extremely dangerous. There have been a few incidents which can scare elderly and vulnerable people.”

Bolton central team had just two incidents which happened in the Deane area.