TEENAGE vandals who cause havoc in Leyland have come under attack from Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Alcock as plans to move the town's market to a new site off Hough Lane, look set to get the go ahead.

Following a surge of objections from traders and local residents who oppose the move, the Farington councillor is calling for a permanent overnight ban on the proposed site in Ecroyd Street, in a bid to allay some of their fears.

He wants the police to have the power to remove the 'young vandals' from the market when it is not in use after 8pm and stop children causing a nuisance in the area.

He said: "While I am in favour of the move, I believe the objections of local people should be upheld and intend to call for a restriction on the site to help alleviate the problems. This has been done on the Churchill Way car park near the main roundabout where there used to be a similar problem."

At a meeting last night (Wednesday) council chiefs were expected to consider plans to relocate the Towngate market to the new temporary site, currently used as a car park, at the back of Barclays Bank in the town.

The plan also involves the permanent conversion of a warehouse off Northcote Street to a new indoor market incorporating toilets and a cafe together with associated external works.

But some residents and business owners living near the proposed site have objected to using it as a market saying it will increase noise and traffic in the area.

The objections were summarised in a report from South Ribble Borough Council's development services committee.

It states: "Local residents will suffer noise disturbance resulting from early morning activity setting up and serving the stalls on the outdoor market, evening activity dismantling the stalls and general bustle while the outdoor market is in operation.

"The market will become an attraction to teenagers thereby exacerbating an existing problem of disturbance and vandalism on the area."

John Bishop, development control manager for the council, said: "In any planning decision we have to balance up all people's expectations and come to a balanced decision."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.