TEMPERS flared as fed-up residents challenged police about the lack of bobbies on the beat in Rossendale.

The angry exchanges came at a meeting of the police and community forum where retiring Chief Superintendent Mike Griffin came under fire from locals who wanted answers about the future of policing in the Valley.

Residents of Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, spoke out about gangs of boozy teenagers hanging out on the streets at night making their lives hell.

One woman said: "Every night these gangs are outside our houses, drinking and making noise. We have had our cars interfered, with and our gardens damaged but if we speak to them ourselves we just get torrents of abuse.

"We have made loads of calls to the police, but the response is poor and we are totally dissatisfied. It just seems like we are a low priority to the police, but this is an issue that affects a lot of people.

"Why don't you make these youngsters' parents responsible for them, take the troublemakers to the police station and make their parents come and pick them up and see for themselves what their children have been up to?"

Supt Gary Stephenson, who takes over from Chief Supt Griffin as Pennine divisional commander in four weeks, said: "It is an excellent idea to make the parents responsible, but it is often difficult to get the parents to accept what their children are up to.

"In the past we have had to film youngsters with video cameras and show the parents the footage, and then nine times out of ten the parents do respond."

Other residents complained about lack of contact with their local bobbies, and the uncertain future of Haslingden and Bacup police stations. County Coun Eileen Kershaw said: "It seems that technology has come in one window and common sense has gone out the other window. We want bobbies back on the beat. Unless we get bobbies back on the streets in the towns and villages these problems will go on forever."

But Chief Supt Griffin explained that Lancashire Constabulary was getting less money from central Government, and cutbacks were having to be made.

He said: "I haven't got the money to put more bobbies on the street, you aren't going to get more, you are going to get less. If people are so concerned about this issue, are they prepared to pay more money to get more police officers?

"You cannot blame the police totally for the problem of juvenile nuisance. There has to be a partnership approach, the police cannot solve every problem."

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