A CATHOLIC priest dedicated to serving the needs of young people is being plagued by a gang of teenage hooligans.

Father Kevin Griffin has resorted to recruiting a team of eight bouncer style volunteer guards to put an end to the yobs' reign of terror at Darwen's St Edward and Sacred Heart Church in Blackburn Road.

Their catalogue of crimes include spitting and swearing at the priest, smashing windows, barging into the confessional box and running onto to the altar, abusing youngsters attending the youth club and sniffing gas in the church grounds.

Distraught Father Griffin, who has been at the church for 10 years, is also to hold an emergency meeting with the police to discuss ways of stamping out the trouble for good.

"We've had problems on and off since Christmas but the situation is now very serious," he admitted.

"We are trying to create a safe environment for young people and protect them from the bad influence of these troublemakers but things are getting out of hand and frightening for the whole of the congregation,"

The volunteer guards will be on duty during the weekly confessionals and the police will continue making regular patrols of the grounds.

Father Griffin added: "I just want people who come to the church to feel safe - and sadly these measures seem to be the only way of providing this peace of mind."

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