POLICE are continuing to try to stamp out anti-social behaviour around a Newton Aycliffe school.

Residents living near Woodham Community and Technology College raised the issue at a recent regular meeting with staff and police officers.

They say youngsters from the school are vandalising property, taking illegal substances and threatening residents in Washington Crescent and surrounding streets.

Beat officer PC Fiona Cunningham said: "There are 1,250 youngsters attending this school and the problem is being created by around 40 youngsters.

"They fall into two categories. The youngsters are causing problems during the day by going outside the school gates to have a smoke.

"And there are problems during the evening of a fairly minor nature, but they are obviously of a disturbing nature for local people.

"There are a number of operations that have been ongoing for some time and are continuing. They're fully supported by Neighbourhood Watch for the Washington Crescent area.

"Additionally at weekends there are different kinds of problems of an anti-social nature caused by youngsters, not necessarily from the school, gathering in the area. That's being addressed by us and a considerable amount of police time is being devoted to this problem.

"The youngsters appear to have been moving to the burn area and that, too, is now the subject of police activity."

Mike Davison, acting headteacher at Woodham, said: "We have a good relationship with our neighbours and at these meetings we try and talk about the good things and try and put a stop to those few youngsters who do things we'd rather they didn't."