Police say they are on the hunt for young yobs who have terrorised families on Nantwich town square over the past few weeks.
But officers say they need more people to lodge official reports to provide more evidence.
A number of youths wearing balaclavas have been riding bikes across the square, intimidating and abusing pedestrians young and old.
They have also been vandalising flower beds, ripping up plants.
Lee Berry, PCSO for Nantwich town centre, told a town council meeting tonight (April 20) that they were “fully aware” of the incidents and complaints.
PCSO Berry said: “We’re received many emails from members of the public regarding this group of youths in the town centre causing issues riding bikes at people and intimidating people, and ripping up flowers.
“We’re well aware and using all the tools available to us, going into schools, and we are waiting for CCTV images from Cheshire East.
“When receive these we will study them and find out who these individuals are.
“It’s clearly unacceptable behaviour and we don’t want it in our town and we will act when we catch them.”
But PCSO Berry urged more people to log official reports about specific incidents on the Cheshire Police website.
“Community Facebook pages are good, but we need actual evidence because we don’t see these Facebook posts.
“If people can log them as official incidents these will be allocated to officers and we can act.”
Nantwich Mayor Cllr Peter Groves said some residents were being put off reporting because of Cheshire Police’s 101 phone system.
“We’ve had quite a lot of people making the point to use about youths in balaclavas on bikes intimidating people.
“But now the town’s police station is closed, they are struggling to report it because when they ring 101 they are on hold for 30 or 409 minutes and they give up.
“What we have consistently said to senior officers is that people should have the ability to make a report and we need to see the 101 service improved.”
PCSO Berry said officers at local level understood the frustrations with the police station helpdesk being closed.
“Most will use the online service where you can just click on ‘reports’ tab and send it through,” he added.
“Once that’s sent it will be designated to officers.”
Officers said they have had one or two residents knocking on the police station windows at the Beam Street building.
“Nothing beats that face to face contact, we want to speak to people, and from my side the station help desk needs to be re-opened.”
Cllr John Statham asked officers when residents who witness incidents should ring 999 rather than 101.
Officers replied: “If someone is being injured or it looks imminent, then call 999.”
One resident at the meeting asked if someone knocking on the police station window knowing officers were in there would be treated as a “nuisance”.
“Not at all, and we would always go out to see what the issue was,” officers replied.
But residents are encouraged to report any incidents or crimes officially so it could be logged and allocated properly.
What can you add to a popular response, Mr berry is a mouth piece for his employer, he spoke to a group in a school where I am associated and the kids were not impressed even they think he is out off touch with the kids of Nantwich. The police then ask the room any questions ? but the scenario is to intimidating for a child to speak up.
As anti social behaviour increases and shops close another town centre finished
What are you on about? There are hardly any empty shops in Nantwich.
The fact they could only manage to send a hobby bobby to the meeting tells you all you need to know. It takes more than a bit of mild vandalism and ASB to get a police response these days. If you don’t have video proof of the crime and the person who did it they’re not interested and even if you do have those things it isn’t a guarantee either.
How hard can it be to identify these idiots? The very fact the police recognise it’s been a long-standing issue over weeks, with no outome, is itself criminal.
We pay more in tax, for less, no solution, continuing nuisance factor…and insuspect they’re absolutely known to the authorities!
Yes that is what you get even after a 6.5%incress in police tax for nantwich and a closed police station ,more houses more crime less police ,i live on the outskirts the only time i see one is in a car going passed the end of the road ,yep 101 is awast of time , soon the 4may voting ha from the film none of the above.
I would not rule out they are not from outside the area, a lot of yobs have been arriving in town on bikes and off the trains too. I have personally witnessed these morons behaviour in Brookfield Park, and reported it at the time
As anti social behaviour increases and shops close another town centre finished
Police on the beat,not sat behind the window might be a start,if you know there is an issue police it,or you could just keep on setting up speeding cameras as these generate income in the way of fines and require no actual investigation work,joke as usual,report it,log it,look at some CCTV images of people wearing face coverings, can’t identify them,so what can you do.
I know go out and catch them
Nantwich is a small town, when I lived there you could be pretty sure someone out would know you. Hard to imagine no one knows who the kids are.