DRUNKEN teenagers rampaged through Westhoughton last night breaking windows in a stone-throwing wrecking spree.

Youngsters ran through the town centre breaking six windows and throwing bricks and coins at police.

It is the latest in a spate of incidents involving drunken vandals in Westhoughton.

Today, Liberal Democrat councillor David Wilkinson condemned the incident saying more is needed to be done to curb drunken yobs.

He called for greater police action to halt a problem he said has existed for several years.

Up to 30 thugs, many of whom had been drinking, began to cause trouble shortly after 9pm when they were moved away from Westhoughton Leisure Centre.

It is understood bricks and coins were thrown at police cars but no officers were injured and no damage was caused to vehicles.

Two hours later a gang of young yobs smashed six windows at Westhoughton library in Market Street. This morning staff arrived at 9.30am to find the windows facing Glebe Mill had been boarded up.

The glass had already been cleared away by council staff and the library was open for business as usual.

Cllr Wilkinson said: "The police talk about recruiting more officers but I have yet to see evidence of that.

"Until there are more coppers on the beat, this problem will not go away.

"The youngsters who decide to smash up buildings are mindless and it's a problem that has blighting the area for some time.

"It usually gets worse on Friday nights but since pupils were off school yesterday because of teacher training it looks like many of them capitalised on it."

As extra police officers were called to the scene, the gang broke up and ran away.

Cllr Wilkinson added: "I asked the education department a year ago to put up shutters at the library but nothing has been done. It's a target for vandalism because it's down a dead end street."

In past weeks, the BEN has revealed that Bolton police officers have launched a crackdown on underage drinkers who openly flout by-laws forbidding alcohol to be drunk on the streets.

As part of the operation codenamed Classify, 160 warning letters had been sent to parents and the names of drinkers, some as young as 12, had been logged.

Police today confirmed three juveniles had been arrested in connection with the incident and inquiries are continuing.

Vandals have blighted Westhoughton in recent years. Last month, Westhoughton Country Primary School, in Central Drive, was fenced off following a series of attacks on a weekly basis.

Hall Lee Bank Park has also been targeted by vandals and motorbike scramblers prompting councillors and residents to set up a park protection group in March.

Arsonists signed the death warrant of the Co-op Pioneer supermarket, in Market Street, last September.

And a new hair studio in Church Street run by Anita Calderbank, was smashed by vandals just four days after opening.

Yobs hurled two large stones through the nine feet wide shop window.

Staff at Westhoughton library, however, have been repeatedly targeted. Over the years it is estimated that replacing smashed windows at the library has cost many thousands of pounds.