NO arrests or specific charges have been made against anyone relating to vandalism at Stokesley public toilets, which cost thousands of pounds to repair.

But police hope a proposed High Street CCTV system and on-going crackdown on badly-behaved children and teenagers will help combat bad behaviour.

Sgt Martin McLachlin, of Stokesley police, said officers responded to a series of incidents involving teenagers meeting at the toilets in the run-up to the damage.

In September, youths aged 15 to 16 had gathered at the toilets and made a nuisance of themselves. In October, girls aged 13 to 16 were found drinking and smoking one evening in the baby-changing area.

In November, the baby-changing area was attacked. The front of a sink and several wall tiles were smashed with a bottle or bottles, which themselves were also smashed.

Following that, the toilets were closed at 7pm rather than 9pm.

Later in November, the police received a complaint of a number of girls causing a nuisance in the women's toilets. Four girls aged between 15 and 17 were told to leave the building and their bottles of alcohol were confiscated.

Sgt McLachlin this week said no arrests had been made in respect of the damage. However, he said numerous youths had been dealt with in relation to other complaints by the police under the Youth Action Combating Anti-Social Behaviour scheme for anti-social or nuisance behaviour in that vicinity.

"This is a co-ordinated partnership to identify and collate evidence against young people responsible for causing nuisance or behaving in an anti social manner. We deal with them and confront them, in a manner appropriate to their behaviour and conduct."

He said CCTV would have a large impact on bad behaviour around the town centre when installed.

"The level of general monitoring of the town centre will increase. Evidence can be recorded for future use and for later identification of those involved."