LANCASTER City Council has played a key role in supporting initiatives to improve leisure and play facilities for children and young people that shape their life's in so many ways.

Skerton is a caring and tolerant community but many people in Skerton are now saying 'Enough is enough'.

.A project was undertaken by Lancashire Association of Clubs for Young People for a teenmeet (youth shelter). It was decided to locate this on King Georges Playing Field, which I did not support, nor did I support the £400 yearly maintenance fee to empty the litter bin.

The teenmeet was erected on June 11 and the number of com-plaints from residents around King George's Playing Fields has been very high .

On Wednesday, June 18, Cllr Janet Horner and I visited the playing field where 30-plus children plus foul mouthed and undisciplined youths were gathered in the teenmeet.

They had already vandalised the shelter with graffiti and there were cans, bottles, crisp bags and cigarette packets all around - even though the litter bin was only a few yards away. The children's play area was also covered by broken glass.

The time has come for the police beat manager and com-munity support officers to take a more pro-active stand with these youths and their parents.

Police cautions should be issued for persistent bad behaviour and, if it continues, police should consider taking action in the Youth Court and applying for anti-social behaviour orders, parental orders, referral orders.

Also, alcohol should be banned on playing fields because it only encourages young people to have no respect for other people or property.

Cll John Harrison, Skerton East Ward