'Drinks den in the park'

EXTRA police patrols are to target a night time haunt for troublesome youngsters in Clevedon.Officers have been called to the playing fields at Dial Hill over the past few weeks following reports of rowdy teens congregating in the area and drinking until the early hours.The teens have been using a play park next to the Clevedon Cricket Club as a late night drinking den, leaving smashed glass across the pathways and grass.They have also left a trail of damage, vandalising benches and damaging local residents' cars.One Dial Hill resident, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "The problems have been going on over the last four or five weeks."Groups of youngsters have turned the play area into a drinking den."They have vandalised cars by ripping off the windscreen wipers and wrenching off badges and have been running up and down the roads hammering on people's doors."They even took a saw up to the play area and used it to try and cut a bench in half."A lot of the residents up here are elderly and have been forced to ring 999 because they are so frightened."Residents say they have also been forced to clear up the mess in the play park and the fields before using the area to walk their dogs.The resident added: "The area has become a real mess and there is glass everywhere, on the path and field."People have been going over there at the weekend to clear it up."North Somerset Police Sector Inspector Steve Date said he was aware of the problems at the play area and was drafting in extra officers to deal with the unruly youths.Insp Date said: "This is not an area where we have encountered problems previously."However we are targeting special constables and more staff to patrol the area on Friday and Saturday nights."Any young person found to be behaving antisocially will be dealt with and a letter sent home to their parents.