POLICE and councillors are to join forces to find ways of combating the problem of teenage yobs in Rossendale.

A meeting is to be held at Acre Mill Baptist Church, Stacksteads, to discuss the growing nuisance of juveniles loitering around the Hammond Avenue and Acre Mill area of the town.

The meeting follows an advice surgery held by Darwen and Rossendale MP Janet Anderson several few weeks ago where many residents raised concerns about the behaviour of youngsters in the area.

In March police successfully applied for dispersal orders to rid the Toll Bar area of the town of teen tearaways.

Police in Rossendale became the first in East Lancashire to exercise new powers to split up large groups of youths gathering in known trouble spots.

Officers secured dispersal order powers allowing them to move groups of youths who cause a nuisance to residents.

Coun Christine Lamb said the youths had been loitering around Hammond Avenue where incidents of vandalism, jumping on cars and sitting in people's gardens had been reported in recent weeks.

The Stacksteads councillor, along with colleague Coun Michael McShea, will be at the meeting to discuss what action can be taken.

She said: "While dispersal orders seem to have had some success in the Toll Bar area there has been an increase in juvenile nuisance in other areas including Hammond Avenue and Acre Mill.

"Hopefully if the council, police and residents can work together with the young people we can solve some of the problems."

At the weekend 25 windows were smashed at nearby St Joseph's Primary School, and on Tuesday residents on the Tunstead Estate decided to form a residents' group to investigate ways of tackling similar problems.

Coun Lamb said the meeting called by the police was a success and a similar scheme may be decided at the meeting.

She said: "The meeting of the residents of the Tunstead Estate was a real success.

"It was decided to form a residents group and this is one possible idea which could be decided at the meeting."

The meeting at Acre Mill Church, off Newchurch Road, is on June 7 at 7pm.