Parents: You need to know where your children are and what they are doing

VICTIM OF ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR SPEAKS OUT AS THE YOUTHS WHO DAMAGED FENCE FOUND BY POLICE

A householder whose fence was repeatedly damaged by vandals has called for parents to take responsibility for their children.

The panels were damaged at the home in Burbage over a number of days.

The householder, who asked not to be named, said: “The experience of the anti-social behaviour can be very intimidating and impact on people whether they are young or old.

“The stupidity of the actions can affect victims long-term, especially if they are elderly or vulnerable.”

“Parents need to take responsibility for their children which involves knowing where they are, what they are doing and who they are with.

“Hopefully, with the positive work done, this has ended the cycle of damage and we can move on”.

A police spokesman said: “We identified several youths involved and as a result, have issued warning letters, completed home visits, worked with the school, got apology letters, supported the victim with crime prevention products and managed to recoup some money towards the cost of the replacement.

“We appreciate that incidents like this can have a massive impact on residents and we always try to resolve these issues where possible.”

Officers said the youths responsible for the anti-social behaviour were a tiny minority.

With work, officers hoped they can now “put them on the right path”.

The spokesman said: “We ask for the support of residents and parents to help us in identifying and preventing issues which can have big effects on communities.

“Let’s work together to prevent antisocial behaviour, support victims and keep our area a good place to be.”