Local residents are said to be “at the end of their tether” after a campaign of night-time anti-social behaviour in Stamford Park from dozens of youths involving torched wheelie bins, quad-bike riding and underage drinking.
The disruption at the Hale park is said to have gone on for several weeks, often lasting until 6am in the morning and involving “over 30” youths who congregate around the playground, tennis court area and bowling green.
Greater Manchester Police and local firefighters were both called out to the latest trouble, last night.
The police said they believed that the youths had been dragging wheelie bins into the park and setting them alight, and the youths were also thought to have been in possession of fireworks. However, by the time the police arrived, they had made their escape on bikes.
Below: One of the torched wheelie bins at the park today
Visitors to the park today found two unsightly areas of scorched-black terrain, with remains of burnt wheelie bins and rubbish piled on top.
One local resident, who did not want to be named but had only recently given birth, described the youths as “loud, obnoxious and annoying”.
She said: “They congregate at about 11pm, sometimes earlier, and they bring booze with them. They look underage.
“Some people have seen quad bikes and I’ve heard what sounds like quad bikes. It was really irritating in the late stages of pregnancy, and my son is not even three weeks old. I’ve already been woken up by him, I don’t need to be woken up by idiots in the park as well.”
Below: The entrance to Stamford Park this morning
There’s no suggestion the quad bike riders spotted on Manor Road (as pictured on our Facebook page) are connected to the trouble in the park.
She added: “It’s been going on for quite a few weeks. It happens a lot in the summer and tends to happen when they’ve left school or finished their exams, I suspect. Obviously people are getting to the end of their tether on the street, but some people aren’t as affected as others. Some people deal with it by moving into their back room but why should they have to do that? A lot of people have children and it’s not very nice.”
She said she believed the park was getting a reputation as a place for youths to congregate – and she feared the trouble could escalate into something more sinister.
Below: The two areas of scorched terrain caused by the torched wheelie bins
She added: “People are getting very frustrated. To be honest, if there’s a load of underage youths in the park, drinking and perhaps taking cannabis, then it’s only a matter of time before there’s a serious incident of a sexual or violent nature. When residents have been out and spoken to them, they have claimed that it’s the first time they had been in the park, so it’s obviously getting a name as somewhere to come.”
The resident is now organising a meeting with the local community team in order to address the issue.
Below: The entrance to Stamford Park this morning
