A VILLAGE wants to get rid of a bus shelter which has become a magnet for disruptive teen- agers.

The issue came up at a stormy community-police partnership meeting in Middleton St George last week.

About 80 residents turned up to vent their anger at the anti-social, alcohol-fuelled behaviour of vandals over the past couple of months.

Private property had been damaged, community centre windows smashed and entry to the post office shop blocked by an intimidating gang outside.

The complaints were aired to Chief Insp Graham Hall and Insp Sue Collinwood, who are new in their posts following the restructuring of County Durham Constabulary.

Chief Insp Hall said there was a new regime, geared to making anti-social problems a high priority, working in partnership with residents.

He urged people to contact the police, no matter what off-putting experience they had had in the past. He cautioned them against taking direct action. Even taking photographs of the youths involved could be seen as "provocative".

Rural bobby Sgt Mark Ralphs said there should have been a noticeable difference over the past two weekends when there was a high profile police presence in the village.

"I have spoken to a lot of the kids in the bus shelter at High Stell, some had been drinking, others hadn't. It is a great congregating point for them and I think that is a bus shelter we don't particularly need."

A very aggrieved resident said: "The bus shelter is practically in my garden - and the bad language I hear during the evening is terrible!"

Coun Doris Jones said the shelter was part of a planning gain when the estate was built.

"Perhaps we could have a perspex one to keep the elderly dry, that wouldn't be so user-friendly for youths."

One woman said: "We used to sweep the shelter out every week. People don't use it now because of the amount of rubbish inside and because it is being used as a toilet. It smells disgusting and a perspex one would be a much better option."

Coun Jones said the village was due to receive another sum of money from a housing developer which could be spent on equipment for older children, perhaps in the water park. The new school, due to open in 2005, would have a community sports hall to get youths off the streets.

The meeting ended on a positive note, with people volunteering to become special constables and to help run a disco in the community centre.

* Police in the village took a teenage girl into custody for being drunk and incapable and seized a quantity of alcohol from other teenagers at the weekend.