YOUTHS hurled abused and threatened staff as social services closed a children's home.

Around a dozen teenagers targeted Bury's Chesham Road children's home on Friday night (Aug 3). Staff remained inside the building until the council's own security unit dispersed the crowd, who were friends of youngsters living at the centre.

The incident followed a decision by Bury's social services chiefs to temporarily close the home and move the six children staying there to alternative accommodation.

An unprecedented level of management and staff sick leave at the height of the summer holiday season led to problems in sustaining the "necessary standards of safety, care and control" at the home. Following talks between council leaders, senior social services officers and other agencies, a decision to close the home was made on Thursday.

Bury's director of community and personal services, Julie Goulding, said: "This situation has been very unsettling for the young people who are understandably very upset.

"However, we are working closely with them and their parents or carers to agree and arrange alternative placements wherever possible in line with the joint plans we already have for them."

Currently, there is a national shortage of suitable care placements for vulnerable teenagers and difficulties across the North West in recruiting foster carers and social workers for work with young people is adding to the problems current being suffered by Bury Council.

Bury's spokesman for Health, Housing and Social Services, Councillor Mike Connolly, added: "The temporary closure decision was not made lightly or anything to do with the current financial pressure on social services."