PUT THROUGH THE MILL
As long-delayed work on bridge nears its end, drivers face roadworks at key junction nearby
LIVES “are being made miserable” by tearaway teens terrorising people living near suburban Metro stations.
Last month, seven teenagers were arrested amid reports commuters were being intimidated and having missiles hurled at them.
Northumbria Police says officers been swamped with calls from people sick of troublemakers between South Gosforth and Kingston Park stations.
So far this year there has been almost 50 cases of youth disorder between the Airport and Regent Centre stops.
And on Friday morning police were called again – after Regent Centre’s fire alarm was set off before the culprits fled.
Now, those living and working there say they’ve had enough.
“Last week they were setting alarms off again, and the other day they were opening the back off the buses so they couldn’t leave,” said one trader, who asked not to be named, fearing repurcussions.
“The majority of the kids around here are great – but there are two in particular who are causing all the bother. Their parents admit they can’t even control them and tell everyone to call the police if they are causing trouble – so what chance have they got?”
“Now I have customers who say they are too frightened to even come here and people’s lives are being made miserable.”
And commuter Katrina Allcroft added: “Smoking, bad language, loitering – it is the usual stuff.
“It is mainly teenagers but sometimes they are even younger, and I try and avoid them if I can.”
On Thursday night, police horses were used as part of a large operation at the three stations involving over a dozen staff to try and tackle the louts.
On Facebook, Tyne and Wear Metro posted a picture of the horses outside South Gosforth station.
Some questioned if such a display of force was needed – but locals were pleased.
“I’m really happy they’ve done it,” said Simon Van De Velde, who lives near South Gosforth station.
“I would never complain about the police being seen out and about.”
Neighbours say the affluent area has in recent years been home to drunken behaviour and even a gang fight. David Bowes claimed youths recently scaled the station and were making “a lot of noise”.
“For some residents that’s perhaps a little bit intimidating,” he added.
Our analysis previously found that, last year, Byker was the most trouble-hit Metro station.
Only there and Whitley Bay had more police call-outs than South Gosforth due to a surge in public disorder incidents.
And recently Northumbria Police revealed there had been an “escalation of reports of disorder” in the areas of Fawdon, Wansbeck Road and Regent Centre, with teenagers congregating.
And that was linked to an attack on a 15-year-old boy, robbed by a group of young males in the Park Avenue area of Gosforth.
Nexus, which operates the Metro, said scenes like Thursday night will become a more common sight due to a new programme of joint patrols designed to snuff out troublemakers.
The plan is to target other crimehit stations. The Sunderland and Coast line – which includes Byker – have already been targeted.
A Nexus spokesman said: “Our customers tell us that they want to see more staff and more police on the Tyne and Wear Metro and that is what we are delivering. Nexus spends more than £1m a year on a dedicated police unit to cover the whole Metro system. All areas see regular patrols involving the Northumbria Police Metro Unit, Neighbourhood Policing Teams, and the British Transport Police.
“The aim is to provide community reassurance and deal with issues of anti-social behaviour and fare evasion.
“Operations are targeted at different areas of the system. Last night’s patrols were between Regent Centre and Kingston Park to target youth disorder.”
The patrols do seem to be working. Between January and February, there were 31 incidents of youth disorder on the Airport line. That figure has more than halved between February and March.
The trader added: “To be fair to them, Nexus has done an excellent job. They are working on getting banning orders and trying to deal with it.”
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “We joined our colleagues at Nexus in response to concerns from residents and Metro users of anti-social behaviour in the area.
“This is part of activity that recently saw seven people arrested by neighbourhood officers for offences linked to disorder around the north of Newcastle. Our mounted section are regularly deployed across the Force to support these operations, deter offenders and reassure local residents.
“Anyone with concerns about police activity is encouraged to contact those officers on patrol.”