RESIDENTS in two parts of York are "plagued" with antisocial behaviour and vandalism by youths, according to residents.
Local resident Jonathan Bately has told The Press of vandalism in Foxwood and Woodthorpe caused by teenage boys as young as 13 in the last year, and says the police and the council must do more to tackle it.
Mr Bately said Foxwood Park has seen most of the vandalism, as two benches have been set on fire and burnt to the ground, while another has been smashed with a metal mallet, and the bins, which the resident says have already been replaced three times, have been kicked in and covered in orange paint.
He also says that every glass panel of two bus shelters on Foxwood Lane have been smashed while a third has also been damaged.
Young tree saplings have been pulled out of the ground in Chesney Fields, and street signposts on lampposts have been twisted and bent too, says Mr Bately.
Inspector Lee Pointon from the York outer Neighbourhood Policing team: "I understand the concerns of local residents and would like to reassure them that we are working hard to deal with incidents of anti-social behaviour."
Mr Bately said: “The individual youths concerned brought packaging to the park to make sure they burnt the seating areas right down to the ground.
“It is sadly a very small minority of people who are spoiling where we live and the police must do much more to bring this vandalism to an end.
“We are still waiting for the council to replace the glass in two bus shelters and bins and repair the street signs. We don’t know if any of the three benches will ever be replaced yet.”
Inspector Pointon said: "Foxwood is a key priority for us and over the last 12 months we have significantly increased police patrols across the area. Officers have successfully been using powers such as dispersal orders to deal with any issues before they escalate.
"We’re also working with our local authority partners to educate young people who are at risk of getting involved in crime around the choices they are making and the consequences of their actions.
"Neighbourhood Policing officers have been carrying out home visits to speak to some parents face-to-face.
"We’ve carried out surveys and hosted a community litter pick. This provided us with an opportunity to engage with residents and listen to their concerns.
"I would like to remind local people to inform the police immediately of any instances of crime or anti social behaviour.
"If a crime is in progress, then please dial 999. To speak to us or report any low level incidents where an offender is not present, then call us on 101. You can also now report crime online at www.northyorkshire.police.uk”
The Press has approached City of York Council for a comment and will print it here when it arrives.
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