A COLLEGE principal has agreed to meet town councillors to discuss concern about the anti-social behaviour of students in Guisborough.

Councillors say they have been inundated with more than 20 complaints a week that young people have intimidated the elderly, dropped litter and acted loutishly during lunch breaks.

At a meeting of Guisborough Town Council, Coun Bill Clarke named students from Laurence Jackson School and Prior Pursglove College as the culprits.

He said: "I have watched them and they sit around in large groups shouting and bawling and throwing litter anywhere other than in the bins provided.

"When they go back to school or college the town centre is nothing short of a disgrace. I have spoken to both the school and the college and asked them to assist in cleaning these areas up but all I come against is a brick wall and a fudging of responsibility."

Coun Clarke suggested that Guisborough Business Association discuss cleaning schemes with shops, litter louts be named and shamed, the police impose £50 fines and the heads of the two educational establishments address the students directly.

If the situation did not improve, he said, students should be confined to their school or college.

Other councillors suggested school prefects could police students in the dinner hour.

It was agreed that the headmaster of Laurence Jackson School, Chris Lord, and principal of Prior Pursglove College, Stephen Whitehead, be asked to attend a special meeting.

Mr Whitehead, who is also a chairman of the Guisborough Market Town Initiative, said he would be happy to attend any meeting.

He said: "Of course we will discuss this and co-operate fully. We want our 1,200 students to be an asset, to actually enhance the community.

"I would say that they generate a lot of business for the town and we could not imprison them in the college. They are aged 16 to 19 and you just can't do that. My heart is with this town and we at the college will of course work to improve it."

Nobody from Laurence Jackson School was available for comment owing to the half-term holiday.