STAFF claim “feral” teenagers are running riot in a major council building in West Lothian and there’s ‘nothing being done to stop it’.
Bathgate’s Partnership sits directly across the road from the town’s police station but staff in the centre say they have to put up with nightly abuse and threats from boozed up teens.
The latest “invasion” of the Jim Walker Partnership on South Bridge Street last week culminated in facilities staff hitting a panic button to demand police attention.
Councillor Harry Cartmill condemned the behaviour saying: “We live in a no consequences society.”
A meeting of the town’s Local Area Committee heard the council offices and library had become a hot spot in a town centre that had witnessed growing acts of anti-social behaviour in recent months.
Officers attending the meeting conceded that there had been a surge in disorder, a ward report to the meeting said: “Patrols continued around the town centre and intervention took place with several premises who made the team aware of youth issues.”
Councillor Willie Boyle said that it was a police uniform which would be effective in dealing with loutish behaviour. Facilities staff at the centre are mocked and abused by the youths.
Councillor Boyle said: “Anti-social behaviour is a problem. It has been quite prominent in this building and surrounding areas. I don’t know the answer to that. It seems to flare up now and then and this particular six months or so has been particularly bad.”
He told Sgt Jamie Duthie: “It seems that they will just not recognise any authority other than a police uniform. What crossed my mind is there some other way round that, some other recognised body that would free up you guys but still bring some clout to that?”
Sgt Duthie said the uniform could act as a barrier to dealing with situations and said that he would discuss the issues at a weekly meeting with the Safer Neighbourhood Team and Youth Action Project staff who work with youth across the county.
“Some kids will take advice and guidance. Some won’t and that comes from parental influence and behaviours as well,” the officer added.
“I take on board that there has been an upsurge in the last few weeks.”
He said ultimately a youth who was charged would have to have a parent present.
The meeting heard that planters put together by volunteers had been destroyed in the town centre last week.
There is a mistaken belief that the town centre is covered by CCTV; it has not been for several years and police rely on information from the public.
Councillor Cartmill, chair of the committee said: “The staff in here, the only word I can use, are demented by the anti-social behaviour.
“We live in a no-consequences society. These kids are running feral; they know that they cannot get touched.
“It’s almost a cliche to say but when I was kid you would get a clout around the ear. We don’t have that any more but we need it.”
He said filling stations at both Tesco and Morrisons in the town had been closed one night recently to protect staff after a gang of “feral youths” had tried to rob the stores.
“This is a serious thing. A no-consequence society. What do we do about it? We need to go back to basics to what it used to be. It’s just feral behaviour.”
At the meeting held in the Partnership centre Councillor Cartmill added: “I’ve seen the kids down the stairs. They have no respect for the staff. The police really need to have a better presence. I know you are constrained by what you can do, but at the same time it’s needed.
“It’s pretty bad in the town.”
