ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour by teenagers is causing problems for residents in Meadow Way in Bungay, town councillors heard on Monday.But they also heard that the town's safer neighbourhood team was tackling the issue and making progress on it.

ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour by teenagers is causing problems for residents in Meadow Way in Bungay, town councillors heard on Monday.

But they also heard that the town's safer neighbourhood team was tackling the issue and making progress on it.

It has been an ongoing problem in the area for some months, with youngsters aged 14-17 congregating around the play area and PC Martin Skuse told town councillors in his monthly report that tackling it was now a priority for the safer neighbourhood team.

Members of the public were at the team's last meeting to air their views, and PC Skuse said: “Certain things have taken place by the police and Waveney District Council since last Monday. We have met with residents and given the road some attention and issued 12 encounter forms, with letters going out to parents advising them that their children had been encountered by police because of their behaviour.”

He said if that did not work other measures would be taken to deal with the problem, but he said the action so far was a positive indication the safer neighbourhood team (made up of representatives from the police, councils, schools, crime prevention and other local organisations) could work.

“Meadow Road is one of the priorities for next month. The other is tackling the issue of break-ins of sheds and garages,” he said.

There had been 21 crimes reported in Bungay in the last month, including a number of burglaries from buildings such as sheds and garages, mainly in the Waveney Road and Garden Close areas.

PC Skuse said a number of violent incidents on New Year's Eve in the town had taken place but all had been detected.

The next meeting of the Beccles and Bungay safer neighbourhood team is at Beccles on February 16. The public are welcome to attend.