Community asked to come forward after spate of antisocial behaviour in Castleton

Councillor Billy Sheerin is seeking a dispersal order to tackle antisocial behaviour in Castleton

Residents in Castleton are being asked to come forward by local police after a spate of antisocial behaviour in the village including rocks being thrown at taxis, foul language, ripping up canal benches, damaging fences and trees and shattering glass in bus shelters on more than one occasion.

Local officer, PC Michelle Farmer, said: “I have been out patrolling the area and will continue to do so this week in the evenings. I am asking the local community to come forward if they know anything or have any CCTV footage of the youths causing the damage which will assist me in prosecuting the youths responsible.”

Over the weekend of 7-9 April, several bus shelters in the village were smashed, with six on Manchester Road.

It is believed that the youths involved are mainly males between 12 to 15-years-old and a female youth has also been seen with them.

CCTV is being checked along the route and offenders will be brought before police for interview.

In previous weeks, residents have reported witnessing undesirable behaviour such as rocks being thrown, graffiti sprayed on bins and rubbish tipped over.

Castleton councillor, Billy Sheerin, is in the process of seeing if a dispersal order can be obtained.

He said: “We have a gang of kids who are roaming around the village causing wanton damage which includes wrecking bus shelters, throwing bricks at passing cars, abusing passers-by with foul language and all other forms of anti-social behaviour. This is just unacceptable.

“I will be seeing if a dispersal order can be obtained.”

He added he had personally seen the damage caused after a canal seat used by pensioners was ripped up and a litter bin thrown over ‘in a total disregard for street property’.

Fencing on Keswick Street has also been damaged, and graffiti sprayed on waste bins and their rubbish tipped. Attempted damage to trees in the park land on Keswick street has also been witnessed. Two additional bins for Keswick Street have been requested by the councillor.

Under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act (2014), dispersal orders allow police to disperse groups of two or more people from areas with persistent anti-social behaviour, or take home any young person under the age of sixteen in a dispersal zone between 9pm and 6am unaccompanied by a responsible adult or parent.