OAPs strike back!

Published on 22nd March 2007 in News

Ready to take a stand: Residents in Swinefleet gather to hear what can be done about anti-social behaviour in the village.

"We are revolting against anti-social behaviour" is the message from one Swinefleet pensioner, who says he and many other elderly residents are fed up with the problems young people are causing.

Wheelchair-bound Dennis Whalley said that for the last two or three years, residents have had to endure young people congregating at a bus shelter, underage drinking, using foul language and damaging property.

"It's got gradually worse," said Mr Whalley.

"They gather and sit on walls near the junction of Reedness Road and Church Lane.

"People daren't go past because of the cat-calling. The language you wouldn't believe, they're 'f'-ing and blinding."

Mr Whalley says the youths, who sometimes come from other towns and villages but are generally known as 'The Swinefleet Posse', have even pulled the bricks out of one resident's wall before throwing them back into the garden.

They have also been seen jumping on parked cars and riding motorbikes without helmets; they have smashed milk bottles and thrown stones.

The problem seemed to get worse during the school holidays, Mr Whalley said.

But the pensioners are finally taking a stand. On Monday afternoon around 30 elderly residents went to a meeting arranged by the resident warden of the Church Lane bungalows, Maureen Quantrell, at the village institute.

Emma Grimshaw, from East Riding's anti-social-behaviour unit attended, along with Cllr Terry Allison, parish councillors and Pc Janet Anderson, the neighbourhood police officer.

"It was a very, very good meeting," said Mr Whalley.

"There was a tremendous amount of views exchanges. Everyone had something to say.

"We're to be given diary sheets so we can make notes of who does what and when they're doing it.

"We can even have CCTV fitted in a secret location.

"We've started to do something - the pensioners are revolting."