THE heads of two education centres have been called before a special council meeting to account for their students' behaviour in a town centre.

Guisborough Town Council has also come up with a programme designed to prevent gangs of youngsters causing disruption during school and college dinner hours.

Councillors say that they have received more than 20 complaints a week that the young people have intimidated the elderly, dropped litter and behaved in a loutish way.

Speaking at a Guisborough Town Council meeting, Councillor 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 the Guisborough Business Association discuss cleaning schemes with shops, that litter louts be named and shamed, that police impose £50 fines and that the heads of the two educational establishments address the students directly.

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

Other councillors suggested that school prefects should police students during the dinner hour.

It was agreed that the headteacher of Laurence Jackson School, Chris Lord, and the 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 attend any meeting.

He said: "Of course we will discuss this and cooperate 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."

Neither the headteacher of Laurence Jackson school, nor his deputy, John Downs, could be contacted for comment on the issue.