DRUNKEN youths have vandalised a Pendle town with human excrement.

Barnoldswick town councillor Jenny Purcell said in one of the latest episodes of youth nuisance blighting the town a gang of youths smeared human faeces on a phone box in Gisburn Road.

She claimed other incidents included youngsters urinating in the bus shelter near the former Foster's Arms pub in Gisburn Road, which was littered with empty whisky bottles and lager cans.

Today Coun Purcell demanded more police for West Craven as well as an extension to Barnoldswick's new £150,000, 12 camera CCTV system.

The call comes after police said criminal damage had fallen 50 per cent and anti-social behaviour 30 per cent since the launch of the cameras in October.

Coun Purcell said: "They put human faeces inside and on the outside of the phone box and the bus shelter had lager cans and whisky bottles in it and it stunk of urine.

"The old people cannot sit in it because of the stench.

"We need more CCTV to help the police. We have some fantastic police and police community support officers who work with the community but they are understaffed."

Police said the figures were based on the three months following the switch-on compared to the three months before its launch.

Two weeks ago a gang of youths were fined between £40 and £80 after being caught on camera being drunk and causing anti-social behaviour.

Sergeant Andy Cartwright, called on residents to continue informing police of incidents.

He said: "CCTV is not the panacea to all ills but the figures prove that it is having a significant effect.

"It is enabling us to identify offenders much easier and therefore to hold them to account for their action much easier.

"Although it's still early days for the new system, we're delighted with the results to date.

"People may think they've got away with their anti-social activities, but if they are captured on film, identification is much easier, and justice can be very swift."