ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour is still a great concern in Camelford.

A recent meeting of Camelford Town Council heard that residents’ concerns are not going unnoticed, following numerous incidents involving vandalism, damage and verbal abuse in the town.

Town clerk, Esther Grieg, told the meeting, during her clerk’s report, that the anti-social behaviour is continuing. “Sadly the anti-social behaviour is continuing. I learnt recently that the little darlings are hurling abuse at people.”

Cllr Lauren Rathbone had also been approached by one resident, who had told her that there has been an increasing amount of abhorrent language coming from a small minority of youngsters. “The language that is coming from the skate park has been awful. It was during daytime, when most children were at school!”

As the meeting continued, PCSO Mike Dodd introduced himself and addressed the concern surrounding anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.

He said: “The damage to the scout bench has been dealt with, and those in question never came to notice again, and the damage to the slide was dealt with, never coming to notice again.

“However, we seem to have a group who don’t appear to be attending Sir James Smith’s School. As well as giving them a hiding with a stick, we also need to get them to be in with a normal society.”

He reported that the shouting and verbal abuse coming from OCM Skatepark has ‘been dealt with’, and in regards to the damage to the scout hut in recent weeks, CCTV has been downloaded, but there is a long process that follows this. PCSO Dodd said: “It does take time, but it is moving on. One thing we are asking people is to not have it discussed on social media because it is not getting us any further.”

He added: “Three or four of them are very challenging, but we are making progress.”

The meeting heard that local police are now unable to reply or post on behalf of the Camelford Police team via Facebook. Cllr Claire Hewlett, acting mayor and chair of the council, agreed that social media could be an inappropriate place to discuss the anti-social behaviour. She said: “A few of us here manage separate Facebook pages and we often have to turn comments off.”

Cllr Lauren Rathbone said that PCSO Jowan Annear had spoken at the annual parish meeting on March 7, and had mentioned the damage to the public toilets in the town. PCSO Dodd said: “There is not enough CCTV evidence. We know who did it, but we can’t prove it.”

In reference to this, Ms Grieg said: “There was a chap going in and coming out again, and then a group of kids can be seen going in then going out again, and then it’s locked.”

PCSO Dodd said that the danger in making assumptions from such little evidence could mean the wrong person is penalised. “As far as we know, he could have a record (in criminal damage). If they are going to carry on, then they will get caught out.”

Cllr Rathbone said: “It seems like they’re getting a slap on the wrist and that’s it!”

PCSO Dodd replied: “With the vast majority of children, we talk to them and that’s it. However, we’re going for enforcement and it won’t be a voluntary process.”

Through this, the people in question would then get a criminal record. “The parents have been invited to a meeting to discuss home education. If they decline, they will go to school or (the parents) will be prosecuted.”

Cllr Hewlett said during her Camelford area network report that the local area will be getting a new neighbourhood beat manager in April, but the number of PCSOs is reducing from nine to six.

She said they would like to introduce a council advocate scheme, which would mean half of the councillors from the area would sit as a go-between (if a PCSO representative did not attend a public meeting).