Vandal rampage '˜out of control'

And the incident led to a Fleetwood councillor warning that the problem with youth nuisance on the seafront is now getting out of control.

Councillor Terry Rogers says groups of up to 50 youths – some as young as eight – are blighting the area, causing damage and intimidating people on the seafront.

He vows that local organisations will be working together to tackle the problem, but in the meantime he is asking parents if they know where their children are at night.

The latest vandalism spree saw three large windows destroyed at the Marine Hall, while windows were also smashed at the adjoining YMCA café and at a heritage bus shelter across the road.

Coun Rogers, chairman of Fleetwood Town Council, said: “This problem is getting out of hand.

“This latest damage is just one of many incidents we have heard about.

“We’ve had complaints that cars have been damaged, that chalet owners have been harassed and that even people going to shows at the Marine Hall have been abused by youths.

“This kind of thing is bad for Fleetwood, bad for the people who live here and bad for visitors.

“Yet it is our own young people who seem to be responsible.

“It appears that some of these children are as young as eight or nine. Don’t their parents wonder where they are?

Coun Rogers says the Town Council, Wyre Council and the police, along with other agencies, will be working hard together to halt the issue.

Wyre Council, which owns the Marine Hall, says it is working with other agencies to try and deal with an on-going problem of youth nuisance in Fleetwood’s Marine Gardens.

This week a Wyre Council spokeswoman said: “The council is working in partnership with multi-agencies to help tackle the anti-social behaviour problem at the Marine Hall and gardens as part of a bigger engagement process.”

Dave Scrivener, who runs the FLEXIT (Fleetwood becomes its own borough again) said: “Friends of mime who have chalets have had their cars damaged.

“On Tuesday morning I saw the damaged shelter.

“It’s not as if there is nothing for then kids to do in Fleetwood, there are some excellent youth organisations in this town.

“It can only be down to the parents.

“We need decent CCTV cameras around the Marine Gardens and perhaps the tow councils can share the cost

At meetings of Fleetwood Town Council, the police have said they are aware of the issue and are working with Wyre Council.

But Coun Rogers says he fears the cutbacks to the police has made their job more difficult.