RESIDENTS of Waterfoot are celebrating the closure of a local children's home. Locals have been campaigning for years for the closure of Baltic House complaining of anti-social behaviour by teenagers.

The home is run by a private company, Family Support Services, who are now applying to re-register the large detached house near to the centre of Waterfoot as a private school.

Two years ago a protest petition against the home was led by Stanley Hargreaves who lives close by in Schofield Street.

He said: "The residents and shopkeepers are not just happy about this decision we are ecstatic."

Residents had protested about the use of the building as a children's home before it first opened about five years ago.

Mr Hargreaves said their worst fears came true when youngsters from the home were blamed for a catalogue of incidents ranging from noise through to the early hours to assaults.

Complaints made to the home and to Lancashire's social services included allegations of the children:

l Throwing bottles at passers-by

l Screaming and shouting until 2am

l Drugs use

l Throwing eggs at shoppers

l Playing "chicken" with traffic

l Throwing balloons full of water at cars

l Breaking windows

l Girls standing naked at windows

l Swearing and shouting

Mr Hargreaves said: "The owner of a sweet shop first moved and then closed down because of the aggravation from youngsters at the home many of whom were not even from this area.

"There was a case when a young girl was attacked after being chased into my back yard. Elderly residents were sworn at and verbally abused. They were afraid to go out if these youngsters were about.

"Two young women who lived in a flat at the back of the home moved out because of the situation. One of them returned to Salford saying it was much quieter there."

Mr Hargreaves, who works as a relief manager at pubs and clubs, said: "It has been much quieter lately.

"We understand it has now closed as a children's home and is to be used as a school. That means there is nothing going on at night. Residents are not just happy and delighted they are ecstatic."

Chairman of Lancashire social services committee Councillor Doreen Pollitt said she could confirmed that Baltic House children's home was now closed with no children living there.

"The home was still registered with the Lancashire CC inspection unit and the proprietor has submitted an application to Ofsted to re-register the home as a private school.

Peter O'Neill, of Yorkshire-based Family Support Services, who have a local office in Rawtenstall, said he was unaware of any recent problems but agreed there had been a history of complaints from residents.

In the 18 months or so they had followed the trend of moving resources into smaller children's and more specialised units where children could receive more individual support in the East Lancashire area.

They were now applying to change the function of the building from a children's home to a small day school with no more than 12 pupils.