RESIDENTS who have complained for four years about anti-social behaviour in a local park could see an improvement.

The problems have been caused at the park owned by Home Housing in Newton Aycliffe by teenagers using a small football pitch as a place to meet and drink.

Residents, the police, Sedgefield Borough Council leisure services and Home Housing, have met to discuss what could be done to end the problem.

Councillor Vincent Crosby, who organised the meeting, explained that a partnership approach would be taken to tackle the problem.

They agreed at the meeting to remove the football pitch and replace it with climbing rocks, suitable for eight to ten-year-olds.

He said: "That will deter the older ones who go there to drink and be a nuisance. We don't want to stop people enjoying themselves, but this park is for young children. We don't want to remove the park, just make alterations to it."

Coun Crosby said he did not believe that this would merely move the problem elsewhere because the council is building youth shelters for older children in Newton Aycliffe, which he said have been proven to reduce anti-social behaviour.

A follow-up meeting will be held in October, when Coun Crosby said the work would have been completed.

l Youth shelter is opposed: Page 5