'Intimidation' at play area

Teenagers in Craven Arms are intimidating and bullying younger children as they gather around a new £20,000 play area, it has been claimed.

The new Brook Road play area was completed less than two weeks ago but town councillor Sharon Demos says already groups of up to 30 youths are gathering, putting younger children off playing.

Councillor Demos said there were signs saying it was for toddlers but the youths were ignoring them. She said: "I don't know how we are going to get the message across that the park is for little ones, but we have to."

Community Support Officer for Craven Arms, Debbie Lawton, has been to the park every day since it opened. She said: "The older ones, and we are talking from 10 until end of school age, are being really intimidating. Some of the names I have heard them calling the little ones are disgusting. I am not putting up with it.

"The older ones are bullying the younger ones. It's a real shame because if we have to enforce that the park is just for toddlers we will. But there are children aged 10 and 11 who use the park with courtesy and enjoy it and it would be a shame if they couldn't go."