They are blamed for many misdemeanours, but are the gangs of young people on the borough's streets really to blame? John Dean investigates.

IT is 8.30pm on a Friday and the kind of scene which some find intimidating and which leads others to call the police.

A group of more than 30 teenage boys and girls have congregated on the main street through Middleton St George, just outside Darlington.

This is the village which staged, in February, a community partnership public meeting where the problem of youths causing a nuisance was addressed. Some residents were concerned about youths hanging around on street corners and in bus shelters, others about vandalism.

But among the young people gathered outside the old reservoir this Easter Friday night, there is a sense that they are often blamed unfairly.

At first, they refuse to talk but one by one, they appear to give their viewpoint. Yes, they are lively and know their own minds, yes they challenge you with their confidence, but they are not intimidating.

Despite efforts by the council and villagers to provide regular events for them, one 17-year-old girl says: "There is nothing for us here. We have one bus shelter and whenever we gather there, we get moved on. And the police keep moving us on when we are not causing any trouble."

A 16-year-old boy adds: "People see a lot of us and they get worried but we are not doing anything wrong."

His friend, of the same age, says: "What we want is something like a football court. We are not causing any bother - we have to be somewhere, after all. All we want is somewhere to get together."

Over in the west end of Darlington on the following night, a small knot of a dozen or so teenagers has gathered outside the Mowden shops, on the Mowden estate.

It is another flashpoint. Also in February police attended a meeting at Hummersknott school, less than half a mile away, following complaints about the youths who gather near the shops. Local people said dozens of youngsters congregate, drinking, causing concern for homeowners and committing vandalism.

But talk to the young people on this Saturday night and a different picture emerges. A 14-year-old boy, standing outside the shops with his friends, says: "All we want is somewhere to go, a youth club or a disco. There was one in Mowden but it was closed down. Lads from Branksome came in and caused trouble."

His friend, of the same age, adds: "The idea of a disco or something like that is a good one, perhaps with an ID card which is signed by your parents and shows you live in the area. They could run events in each area so that everyone gets a chance."

His friend, another 14-year-old boy, says. "People see us in a group and call the police because they think we are up to no good - but we are doing no wrong."

A third 14-year-old boy says: "We are causing no trouble but people see a group of us standing on a street corner and assume we are causing trouble. Or they see a cider bottle on the road and assume that we have been drinking when we haven't. It is annoying."

Certainly on this night nothing stronger than wine gums are in evidence.

There are plenty of young people out in Branksome, outside the Yarm Road shops, on Skerne Park and Firthmoor, in Nunnery Lane, all areas where concerns have been expressed about anti-social behaviour by young people.

Sure, some do have cans of beer - the question is who sold them? - and there may well be unsavoury incidents from time to time somewhere in the town, but as dusk falls, these young people are simply standing and talking, or walking peaceably along the streets. Social rather than anti-social, in fact.

Not every picture, it seems, is as black as it is painted.