I WAS surprised to hear Cllr Howarth blaming parents for the unruly element among today's youth. Perhaps he should address himself and his Labour Council for letting the youth down.

Someone kept banging on our window at night, and one night I (aged 75) went out and found a crowd of children from 12 to 16, on a cold winter's night, sat against a garage door across from us. I asked them about the banging on our window, but they denied any responsibility for the same, and said they had seen three youths running away (I didn't know who to believe).

This had gone on for months and I had reported it to the police, but with no success. They said what could they be charged with? I suggested harassment, but they weren't impressed.

I asked the children why they congregated on street corners on a cold winter evening. They said they had nowhere to go at night. I got the impression that a youth club would be great, but run by their own clan, not adults. They said they wanted to be with their own pals, but needed some premises that were warm, where they could meet and drink soft drinks, and run by someone about 17.

This is where Cllr Howarth and his colleagues have let them down. They can spend all this money on fountains and the town centre, stainless steel birds, painting roads causing traffic jams, which in turn causes frustrated motorists. They can indulge in town twinning and helping some bogus 'asylum seekers' with money and housing. But when it comes to our own youth we can't find the resources.

If each area had a meeting place for youngsters to get them off the street, with perhaps five-a-side indoor football maybe, just maybe, we might change their attitudes to society, or feeling that at least someone is listening to them.

After all, the yob element is only about 5 percent of the youth of today. Let's not tar them all with the same brush. I'll guarantee that if a war broke out in about five years time, those same juveniles would do us proud. At the same time, we have got to get rid of that small group of troublemakers.

I agree some parents have something to answer for, if they let young children of 10-14 wander the streets as late as 9pm or 10pm. In that respect I would introduce a curfew. We went to America and, in the town where we stayed, a bell sounded at 9pm and 7am, and anyone within a certain age caught out during curfew could be picked up by the police and it seemed to work.

I also agree that cinemas and football matches could offer reduced admission to get them off the streets, for they cannot afford the prices charged at present.

Bolton Wanderers last home match attendance was only just below 12,000. Perhaps that could have been 17,000 if children were charged at £1 in their own section. Better atmosphere at the match and another £5,000 in revenue, instead of row after row of empty seats.

Perhaps they could have their own cheer leaders to raise the volume of support.

(Name and address supplied)

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