A £5,000 mudbath sort-out isn't playing in to the hands of yobs claims a Lowton councillor.

But a worried Lowton woman believes plans to transform a corner of Newton Road will cause misery.

She says landscaping a patch of spare land near Oaklands Road, on which she claims a bench will be sited, will simply attract troublesome teenagers.

The woman, who didn't want to be named for fear of reprisals, told The Journal: "The public haven't been consulted.

"Already a gang of up to 20 or 30 meet there. They drink alcohol, urinate in public and intimidate passers-by. Putting a bench there will only encourage this.

"Youths have been seen drinking and brandishing knives nearby at one o'clock on a weekday afternoon.

"The Council may just as well put on music and hot dogs for them!"

The complaint angered Cllr Tom Sherratt, who represents Lightshaw Ward, who replied: "We've been asked to clean-up this area so people going to the shops don't get covered in mud.

"It makes me sick when people whinge like this when we are trying to improve things. We had the bus stop moved because of such antics, unfortunately we can't legislate for idiots.

"I have no knowledge of a seat being placed on this landscaped area. What I am not so happy about is the cost of the work."

The spruce-up will be funded from Brighter Borough coffers.

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