Six young troublemakers facing police action in Hoyland

The action reflects the “robust” approach to the problem being taken by South Yorkshire Police’s neighbourhood officers in the area.

Some of those involved have been identified and six have already been subjected to home visits, with all of them remaining “in different stages of the anti-social behaviour process”.

One of the area’s PCSOs is involved in that work and he told those attending a Partners and Community Together meeting: “I am dealing with them quite robustly”.

That involves pro-active patrolling around Kirk Balk academy, to try to deter potential offenders.

The schoo has also assured the authorities that any of their pupils who are identified as being responsible for anti-social behaviour will be dealt with internally, in addition to any other action.

The meeting was also told of girls going into the building which houses Hoyland library and a doctors’ surgery to cause damage in the women’s toilets, then moving on the the recently opened Community Shop nearby, where similar damage occurred.

Some people have reported issues with young people gathering in the town centre, though it is acknowledged not all of them cause problems.

Barnsley Council has removed around a third of the stalls from its market area, in an attempt to reduce anti-social behaviour in that area, be leaving a piece of open ground instead.

Stallholders are now being encouraged to use the regenerated public square for their stalls on market days.

The action comes as the Barnsley South neighbourhood policing team has seen its numbers swollen due to a recruitment campaign.

It now has five police constables and four PCSOs, with the possibility of another constable joining the team at some point in the future.

That contrasts with the situation a year ago, when they were down to one police officer and two PCSOs to cover the whole district.

Neighbourhood officers are still needed for other duties, which in recent weeks have included sitting with prisoners who have needed treatment at hospital and dealing with a shoplifter charged with 20 offences from New Lodge.

But when they are in the area, officers will give attention to Coronation Road and Silkstone View in Hoyland, where problems have been reported.