RESIDENTS and council officials have agreed to install cameras near a piece of land in a bid to tackle troublesome children.

Around 20 residents from the Trinity Street area of Oswaldtwistle met with representatives of Hyndburn Council to discuss a piece of spare land wedged between houses on Trinity Street and Roe Greave Road.

Dave Baxter of Trinity Road says groups of up to 20 children congregate on the land, kicking the ball over his fence and being abusive to people.

His fencing had had to be repaired several times, he said.

Dave Perry, the council's housing manager, suggested installing a video camera, which many residents welcomed, to identify the culprits.

But Mr Baxter said the area needed fencing off with high panels.

"Children will play and children will cause damage," said Mr Perry. "I suggest we take the same approach as we did on Rowan Avenue last year. We can't ban people. This is spare land owned by the housing department.

"People are always crying out for somewhere for kids to play where it is safe. If there are people going on there and using it in an inappropriate manner, we will deal with it but we need to know who is doing it and when they are doing it.

"The idea of fencing everything in is not going to work because it's a behavioural problem. The children would climb over it."

Mother-of-five Deborah Howard, of Rowan Avenue, said: "You get a handful of children who move around the estate aggravating people. It's giving other children a bad name so we need to pinpoint those who are behaving badly.

"I would rather my kids play on that piece of land than be on the street damaging people's property."

Once the ringleaders are identified, the council will contact their parents if they are council tenants. Details of private tenants will be passed to the police.

Ward councillor Jean Lockwood said she had requested the council to ask developers Matthews Goodman to provide a play area as part of its housing development at the bottom of Rowan Avenue.

"If we get somewhere for the kids to go, that would solve both problems," she said.