Unsocial Behaviour

I share Tom McCleery's horror at the litter and vandalism following a drinking party outside the Hesketh Bank village hall. An analysis of this recent local trend and an action plan was presented to the Hesketh- with-Becconsall Annual Assemby by PC Phil Corrigan on 11th May. Some of the youths may be coming in from elsewhere in the district making detection more difficult. It needs public viligance to report suspicions and help squash this local criminal irritant.

Councillors Steve Kirby and Maureen Baldwin (who is also an experience youth worker) have implemented the village and improved facilities for youth in the village, as have the Kingsfold Christian School with a big youth club in their splendid new premises.

Parish councillors provide unpaid community service and - unlike Westminster - Hesketh Bank politicians claimed no expenses last year. Constructive suggestions on a viable remedy for this behavioural problem are very welcome,and I'm sure the public will obtain more voice in in the future on what goes on.

Yours,
Trevor Roberts (Cllr) 18th June 2009

Welcome To Village Life (Hesketh Bank Style)

Anyone visiting the Hesketh Village Institute, the Band practice hall, or the Happy Days Nursery this morning would have first had to negotiate two empty beer bottles on the entrance road.  These were thrown there the previous evening by teenagers leaving the now traditional weekend underage drinking sessions held in the area.  As well as the usual loud swearing, one of the youths also relieved himself against the entrance pillar, in full view of the main road, passing traffic and the houses opposite.

Anyone who had stopped this morning would have seen a damaged pillar, left without repair, the posts which once held the sign for the Institute , vandalised and left lying on the road previously, and the obvious litter and evidence of drinking from the previous night. 

Had they walked in the area they would see the football field perimeter fence deliberately vandalised and removed in section to give youths access to the football stand. 

The evidence of the previous nights drinking would again be clear to see.  The whole area is littered with broken alcohol bottles, and this is where parents come to drop their children at a Nursery – what a welcome.  The area is also next door to a residential care home for the elderly – at least the youth had the decency not to pee on their entrance pillar!

Why weren’t the police called?  Local residents and the Care Home staff have called the police on numerous occasions. More pertinent questions are these – This area, and this problem are both well known to local Councillors and the Police. Why do both these bodies, whose duties are to support the community continue to rely on local residents reacting to unpleasant situations.  Why have they not formulated and applied a concerted PROACTIVE response to this ongoing problem.  

Is it fair and decent that five year olds should have to step over broken beer bottles on Monday morning on their way to Nursery?

Is it right and proper that vulnerably old people in their care home apartment should be unsettled and scared by loud an aggressive swearing coming through their window. Is this what Hesketh Bank Village accepts?

As a resident I am angry that my Councillors and the Police are not addressing this issue.  Indeed the Councillors are actually proposing to erect an unsupervised Multi Use Games Area  facility in the area – exactly where a similar facility had to be removed from, at great expense, due to it exacerbating  anti-social behaviour.

I am ashamed that my village accepts such a shabby image, and accepts such low standards for young people going to Nursery, and the vulnerable old in a Care Home.

As a professional who has worked with young people all my life I am deeply concerned about the future. Every study conducted both in Britain and elsewhere shows that teenagers, whose community give them the message that anti-social behaviour is acceptable, and that there are no consequences, go on to become very anti-social adults.  Have any of these youths, or their parents been taken to task? 

Surely we are capable of better ?

Tom McCleery. 15th June 2009

Ignorant Dog Owners
I live on Moss Lane, and on Sunday 1st March I was looking out of my living room window, a lady, (correction a female) was walking her dog, the dog stopped and done its POO. This person allowed it and walked on without cleaning up, I went to my door and pointed out to the woman about what I had just seen. This person replied saying that she could assure me that her dog had not done a poo. I couldn't believe her ignorance, This woman was probably in her late 40's early 50's fair hair tied back she had a short brown sheepskin type jacket on and dark trousers, the dog was a black Labrador type dog. I was only sorry I hadn't followed her to see where she lived so I could report her. I hope if any readers of this letter recognise her and her dog let her know I have written this letter, and hopefully she feels ashamed of herself because she is probably the type of person that doesn't read these type of letters or maybe can't read because there are enough signs around about dog fouling and she has never bothered to read just like she couldn't be bothered cleaning her dogs mess up. Neighbours of mine have small children who walk to school along Moss Lane and its just not fair, this person was a well dressed person so at a guess she wouldn't like to step in this type of matter and have it walked into her home just like most people, so why do these people have dogs when they can't clean up after them. For some reason Moss Lane and Boundary Lane seem to be just one big toilet for dogs, I just can't believe how ignorant some dog owners are.

Mrs S Powell. 2nd March 2009

Antisocial Behaviour
Sir:
So, the sickening destructive yobs strike again in Hesketh Bank. I refer, of course, to the wrecking of the shed to the rear of the Becconsall. What on earth is wrong with these delinquents? Every time they are given something, the first thing to strike a few of them is to see how soon they can ruin it. Remember the short-lived youth shelter provided by the Parish Council? All too soon it became a 'nest' for the animal element amongst our youth, drinking, drugs and using the bandroom windows for stone-throwing contests.
I feel genuinely sorry for the (hopefully) majority of kids who would never think of such behaviour but who, due to their 'niceness', soon get driven away from such facilities, When oh when is somebody going to get a grip on this blight on our community? I've chosen to withhold my name and address from publication not through fear of reprisals but through fear of what I might do to this scum should they attempt such action, and the subsequent trouble I would be in with the law, no doubt while the yobs went unpunished! I guess that says it all, really.
Name & Address provided but withheld, 16th May 2006

Proposal by Tarleton Bowling Club to extend licencing hours daily to 1am
Living within the immediate area of the club, we have throughout the years, been subjected to noise issuing from the club. They eventually installed extra glazing, which has resulted in less noise from within the club.
However, there is a considerable amount of noise when customers are leaving the club! People waiting for taxis, or generally shouting, swearing, banging car doors, and general levels of noise as they make their way home down the local lanes. Many nights have been distrubed, due to their lack of respect to local residents,many of whom have small children who are woken from sleep. No-one in authority seems to be around to keep noise levels down. If Tarleton Bowling Club were allowed to increase licencing hours, this would result in increasing numbers of people flooding into the club when other local pubs have served their last orders. Consequently there would be people noisily coming and going every night of the week, especially weekends, resulting in more disturbance within the area. And don't forget last orders at 1am can mean 2am when people have finished their drinks and leaving the club.
Sutton Lane, where the bowling club is situated, is a residential area, consisting largely of families and children. In my opinion and that of other local residents, it would be totally inappropriate for the club to be allowed to open for even longer hours.
I hope the licencing authority have the common-sense to reject this proposal and urge those living in the locality to express their concerns.
Mr & Mrs Heaton, 24th July 2005