BOBBIES are using a new tactic in the battle against bad behaviour.
Ellesmere Port Community Action Team (CAT) officers, keen to get their claws into nuisance youths, have hand-delivered leaflets in problem areas, urging residents to join them in tackling the problem.
Youngsters have been making life miserable for Colwyn Close and Rochester Drive residents.
CAT officer PC Andrew Kevan, who set up the leaflet drop, said: 'Over the last couple of months, houses, cars and gardens have been targeted by a handful of youths who think it's amusing to damage other people's property.
'Eggs thrown at houses, scratched cars, broken windows and ripped-up plants are just a few of the types of incidents that have been reported.
'We're committed to ridding the neighbourhood of these problems and are hoping the leaflets will en-courage residents to work with us and provide us information.
'The community has already played an important part in this operation by providing us with names of suspected offenders. We're now gathering information about these youngsters.'
The police's strategy has been helping in the fight against bad behaviour since 2002. It helps tackle the problem by engaging with youths who are showing anti-social behaviour.
Youngsters are warned. If they persist, they are considered for an Anti-social Behaviour Contract (ABC).
If a youngster fails to respond to the ABC and continues to display anti-social behaviour, they can be considered for an Anti-social Behaviour Order (ASBO).
Community support officer Paul Huxley, a member of the Port CAT, said: 'Lots of partner agencies are involved in implementing the strategy and everyone works together to come up with a solution that benefits not only the community but also the youngster.
'There may be underlying problems which are causing a youth to go off the rails. It's not as simple as identifying a child and punishing them.
'It's also unfair to assume all youngsters cause problems. It's important to highlight that just a minority of youths cause us problems.'
Anyone with information about anti-social behaviour should call PC Kevan or PCSO Huxley on 0151 355 4066 extension 3048 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
