YOUTHS in Westhoughton created “bank holiday mayhem”, according to town councillors.

At a Westhoughton Town Council meeting on Monday, councillors raised their concerns over the number of young people without a place to go or activities to participate in.

After youths were spotted on the streets of the town last weekend, thought to be a result of the warmer weather, the council agreed that it would support more outreach work to be done for the area’s young people.

Councillor David Wilkinson said: “It’s not the first time at bank holidays we have had a lot of mayhem on the streets.

“We need outreach.”

Other councillors agreed that they had seen a rise in youths on the streets. Town Mayor Cllr Arthur Price said he had witnessed young people flood Westhoughton’s Central Park during the milder days, while Cllr Kevan Jones said he saw approximately 150 youths in and around Westhoughton’s McDonald’s.

Cllr Jones said: “They were rowdy and they were giving staff a bit of grief.

He added that the council should talk to outreach programmes to identify a location for young people to meet safely and relatable activities that would encourage them to come off the streets.

He said: “We can work with the agencies to find that niche area to get these kids together.”

Bolton Lads and Girls Club is one organisation already operating an outreach project in Westhoughton. It was recently granted another year of funding by the town council to continue its work for into 2019.

The club requested approximately £14,000 to grow its presence in the area.

The Lads and Girls outreach team gave a presentation to the Town Council talking about the value they brought to the area.

In particular, they emphasised their employability skills teaching, as well as one to one advice drop-in sessions.