VILLAGE residents are calling for a curfew on a children's playground in a bid to rid it of gangs of up to 100 youths congregating at night.

People living on School Lane, Longton, claim groups of teenagers are drinking and damaging property on Longton Playground on the same road.

Groups of 30, but sometimes as many as 100, young people from villages surrounding Longton meet at a youth shelter at the playground particularly on Friday and Saturday nights and now residents are calling for a 9pm curfew at the site.

An 83-year-old man, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "These yobbos and drunks as I call them, are scaring people.

"One woman is petrified of reporting them to the police because she thinks she'll get a brick through her window.

"I've seen Longton deteriorate before my eyes since I've lived here and it sickens me." Representatives from South Ribble Borough Council's Multi Agency Problem Solving (MAPS) team, police and residents will visit the site on Tuesday to discuss and pinpoint changes that could make the area better for everyone.

Police say a curfew would be difficult to maintain.

PC Martin Barnes, rural police officer for Longton, New Longton, Hutton, Walmer Bridge and Much Hoole, said: "The kids travel from the outlying villages and they are causing a problem for the residents and it has become more of a problem since we've had nicer weather.

"Only a few of us cover a vast area and it would take up a lot of police time to watch the playground all the time."

Carmel Fenning, district team manager for Lancashire Youth and Community Service in South Ribble, who is also a member of the MAPS team, said: "The children need somewhere to go. If these children are drinking, I would ask parents to be more aware and interact with their child when they come in the house.

"They should ask them where they've been and what they've been doing and see if they smell of alcohol."