A gang culture could develop in York if a solution is not found to the problem of large groups of teenagers "hanging around" because they have nowhere to go, a police chief said today.

Groups of more than 50 youths are congregating on streets in Acomb during the evenings and , although they are doing nothing illegal, the sheer numbers are intimidating for many residents.

Now the teenagers, from the Cornlands Road area, are to meet with youth workers and Acomb police chief Inspector Andy Bell to give their views on what should be done, and a small group is working on plans for a coffee bar.

Insp Bell, head of policing for the west side of the city, said officers had to deal with a steady stream of calls from residents.

"We've reached a situation where different generations are apparently intolerant of each other in the Acomb area," he said.

"If there are more than a couple of kids standing on a street corner people are ringing in frightened.

"The kids may be absolutely fine but the noise is threatening for a lot of people. Most of them are just talking and standing around. We just move them on. My concern is that we will end up with a gang culture."

Karen Winter, community adviser for the Cornlands area, said the idea for the meeting came when a group of teenagers had gathered outside the last meeting of the area's residents' association and been invited in.

The landlord of the White Rose Pub had offered the use of his pub for next week's meeting and agreed to go "dry" for the night of the meeting on June 11.

Residents' association chairman, Norman Foulsham, said: "These are quite decent kids and I don't think it's a problem peculiar to Cornlands Road."

Sharon Hutchinson, from the detached youth project, a voluntary organisation working with groups of teenagers, said there was a particular need for something on Friday and Saturday nights when youth clubs were usually closed down.

She and council youth work manager Kate Watson are working with a group of girls who are hoping to convert an empty shop at the back of Front Street into a coffee bar and drop-in centre.

Kate said: "There are various youth clubs and we would like to be able to open them seven days a week, 52 weeks a year but we only have a limited budget."

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