Grandmother tormented by youths

Ms Louch said parents should take more responsibility

A grandmother from Martock says she has been tormented for five years by youths in the village.

Carolyn Louch said she has been verbally abused, spat at, had her car continuously damaged and her garden destroyed.

She is now moving after she came home last week from babysitting her grandson to find her kitchen windows and front door had been smashed.

"I had a horrible feeling something was going to happen," she said.

"I sat outside my house and cried as I could not believe the damage these feral youths had done. I sat there and broke my heart and I wanted to walk away from it."

She said there were rocks in her sitting room which had been thrown through the window and that the stained glass windows in her hallway had been smashed with a hammer.

"They must have pre-meditated this. Nobody in the cul-de-sac saw anything and in a cul-de-sac as small as this someone must have seen something.

"Whenever I leave the place I wonder what I'm going to have to come back to."

Tackling issues

Neighbourhood sergeant for Area North which includes Martock, Alan Ball, said: "In Martock there is a small group of young people who primarily are the ones causing the problems.

"The larger group, who somehow view the actions of the older group as being cool, then just follow them. We have identified the hardcore, the ones that have no respect, and we're targeting them."

Mr Ball said this type of crime can have the largest impact on our lives.

"Why should you have to move home because of a problem that other people have created? It's about tackling the issues of those people."

Tom Whitworth, manager of Somerset's Youth Offending Team said it was another form of bullying.

"Often it's young people who do things without the intention of causing harm to other people but it can then be targeted on individuals and it becomes bullying and then criminal behaviour."

Mr Whitworth said he thinks this type of problem has always existed but that communities in the past dealt with things differently.

I firmly believe that the community, the people of Martock should stand up to these youths Carolyn Louch

"People are less tolerant of some sorts of behaviour than what they were in the past and that can impact on the young people involved."

He said if the offender understands what the impact their actions have, then they tend to stop doing it.

He added of the young people that have had a formal warning, three quarters do not re-offend.

Control

So what can be done to solve anti-social behaviour?

Ms Louch said she believed parents should take responsibility for their children's actions.

"The parents are at the root of it. They should be made to pay for things like this," she said.

"They say there's nothing we can do, we can't control them. But why can't they control them?"

Mr Ball said anti-social behaviour was not just an issue for the police alone and that all partner agencies - including the education authority, primary care trust, local councils and parish councils as well as the community - should work together.

He added: "The community need to start saying we're not going to put our heads down and ignore it. It's one of those things where if we don't know what's going on then we can't do anything about it."

Something Ms Louch echoes: "I firmly believe that the community, the people of Martock should stand up to these youths."

If you witness a crime, then note down the details including descriptions, talk to your neighbours as they may know the perpetrators and if it is an emergency call 999 or for non-emergencies dial 0845 456 7000.

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Have you been a victim of anti-social behaviour? What do you think should be done about it? Let us know and we'll publish a selection of comments here.

We should bring back the birch
James Andrew, Pulloxhill

I myself am a child and I feel that only a small percentage of children do this. The chances are that these children have problems with there lies. If we brought back the birch instead of simply helping these children, they will become annoyed and just become more cautious
Fred, Bedford

these stories make me think differently about abuse and bullies they also are a good inspiration to do something about it.
Billy, Pulloxhill

For you who say bring back national service must realise that the good people will also have to go in the service, just like my generation had to and me personally in 1952 so come up with a more stricter form of punishment like a damm good hiding!
Colin Forse, Yatton

We live in a society where parents have to work full-time, or are encouraged, to produce a standard of living that is now expected. The trappings of a materialistic society. Our children attend nurseries from a very young age. How are they expected to bond, respect and learn restrictions? Gang members say that it gives them a feeling of belonging - Is it replacing the traditional family? I appreciate there are those that have few choices in their working needs but I do believe that every child has the right to have a parent to nurture and teach them 24/7 and the parent should be supported with parenting classes and skills to be able instil respect into their children and take responsibility for their child's actions instead of blaming schools, police and lack of resources.
Debbie, Somerset

What are the police doing about it, if it has been going on for five years they obviously haven't done much. Its an absolute disgrace that the woman should have to move because of Scum like those that damage her property.
Polly Filler

We are one of the few countries with no National Service. It was the worst thing this country did getting rid of it. It should be brought back asap.

In this country it's no longer permissible to correct children as a recent case where a mother was followed home after pulling up her own child for disobedience. What incentive is there when disciplining children only gets the parent into trouble? No wonder we have so many children running wild.

The law is too soft on them. As a result we're teetering on youth anarchy.

The Isle of Man stopped using the birch and now, sadly, crime on Man is beginning to rise which gives proof that the birch worked.

I'm fed with hearing about the offenders' rights. The victims have rights too: the right to live safely in their own homes without fear, the right to shop without fear, the right to walk around their neighbourhood without fear. Offenders do NOT have the right to intimidate, attack or bully people nor do they have the right to destroy other people's property.

We live in a namby pamby, soft society where the do-gooders hold too much sway. It has to stop for the safety and sanity of the rest of society.
Jenny, Taunton

I used to live in Mark, Somerset and had the same problems with ASBO kids. I left because it got too bad. Woolavington and East Huntspill is like it too. Rural somerset is rife with it. You are better off living in a town!
Chris, Portishead

With youth this is a far deeper social issue regarding their behaviour than a quick fix.

Several issues rear their head here:

Parenting and lack of discipline and hobbies.
Idle hands are the devils work I was always told.
Lack of amenities for youth.
Lack of direction
Divorce and lack of positive input from a well balanced happy family.
Raised in 'poorer areas' where residents are not to interested in the area.
Unemployment
Children having children.

The solutions are numerous:

Good parenting
Parents should be given wedding counselling before getting wed.
If you cant afford children dont have them.
Good education
Parents should work to teach the children responsibility.
Tougher sentences on offenders and parents better moral values.
Better policing in troubled areas.
Shaun, Taunton

Put culprits in the stocks and leave it to the victims. At the moment punishment is much too lenient.
Annie, Wells

It depends on how serious the incident. However best way to deal with it is to communicate, talk reasonably.

Also those who have bad intent could be gathered and helped, taught and trained. Responsibility and concern for others can be taught by, for example, contact with youth leaders in local churches.
Sue, ex-teacher

Make the parents pay for all the damage youngsters cause.

Young people should do two years National Service. I was a terror -- other young people scrumped apples, did knock out ginger -- but National Service taught respect.
Derek, Othery

Bring back the birch!
Rick

Antisocialists. Send them out to Afghanistan clearing land mines for their kicks!
Mike, Dorset

Police should have more powers and - as they did I was a youngster - police should be able to "lean" on young troublemakers.
Mike, Wellington

I agree with Michael Caine. Get them doing National Service. Send them out to Afghanistan. There's always something to do, a club to join.
David, Corsham

I lived in Bristol in Lower Knowle for a number of years. It was a renowned area for anti-social behaviour from people of all ages. I got fed up with it and just left.
Hilary, Taunton

On either the Isle of Man or Isle of Wight, they used to "birch" youngsters (essentially, whipping them with a birch branch).

The last youngster who was birched there said he'd never do anything like that again.

Adults should be able to give youngsters "a clip round the ear" as long as they don't take it too far, but I don't think adults would be able to get away with it now.
Linda, Wookey Hole

Not sure that I'd agree with giving people a spell in the army, because the army have got enough problems of their own at the moment.

Why should we dump our problem-makers on them too?

Parents should be made to take a lot more responsibility for their children. They should either be fined or accept some other form of punishment.
Margaret, Wellington

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