Police crackdown on anti-social behaviour

The dispersal order granted for Thurcroft ran from 4pm last Thursday and has also been welcomed by residents.

Over the two nights, police numbers in Thurcroft were boosted and a number of young people apprehended.

One teenager was found to be in breach of the dispersal order and was taken home to his parents and a teenage boy was arrested in connection with anti-social behaviour and bailed while enquiries continue.

Two isolated incidents of anti-social behaviour have been reported to police since the order was enforced.

Insp Steven Brookes, who leads the Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “The introduction of the dispersal order is by no means a quick fix and our work to combat anti-social behaviour and associated disorder will continue alongside the council and other agencies.

“Anyone found to be engaging in crime will be dealt with in a robust and appropriate manner.

“We will not tolerate this disorder on our streets. It is a blight to the local community and it must stop.”

Residents, business owners and a councillor told the Advertiser that there have been a number of cases of anti-social behaviour in recent weeks.

Cllr Denise Lelliott said: “There have been a lot of problems, particularly a gang of young people just going around causing problems including egging windows, stones thrown and general nuisance.

“It comes in peaks and troughs.”

Cllr Lelliott said that Rotherham Borough Council is “constantly trying to improve the area” which has included bringing in youth workers.

A resident of St Edmund’s Avenue, who asked not to be identified, said that “young lads” on motorbikes, bikes and quad bikes were a problem on the estate on the west side of Thurcroft.

The resident confirmed there have been incidents of stone and egg throwing at homes, and said there has also been a problem with shed break-ins.

She added: “This morning my outside lights came on and I heard a bang.”

The woman said that she believed many of the troublemakers came in from other nearby areas, such as Dinnington.

She said: “The police are here all the time. They just never seem to be around when we need them.”

Ron Wilson, of Ulrica Drive, who has lived in the area for 40 years, said: “It’s not been too bad recently.”

He welcomed the dispersal order and said the police visit the estate regularly.

Mr Wilson said that the construction of new homes on his street to replace an empty former pub had stopped youngsters hanging around.

He added: “It’s not a bad place to live.”

Another resident said that trouble sometimes flared when school buses picked up youngsters in the evening and another resident said every community had troublemakers so Thurcroft was not unusual.

He said: “You get it everywhere. There is good and bad wherever you go.”

But said that local shops had been broken into and praised the police’s coverage of Thurcroft, adding: “You see them around here regularly, but not every ten minutes.”

Wendy Greaves, owner of Fruit and Veg on Green Arbour Road, said that her son and his friends had had their footballs stolen by youths on the local recreation ground and she had seen youths on quad bikes.

Another shop assistant said there had been cases of people throwing stones on the estate. She added: “It’s a rough area.”