Call for police to step in on anti-social behaviour

COUNCIL chiefs have called for ‘urgent support’ from Devon and Cornwall's Police and Crime Commissioner following what they have described as a “sharp rise in youth-related antisocial behaviour and criminal activity” in the Hoe and Barbican areas.

- By CARL EVE

As the temperatures rise and the school holidays got underway, workers linked to the different organisations which operate along the waterfront said they had encountered an increasing number of incidents, particularly involving young people, such as clambering over private boats, abusing and intimidating visitors, tombstoning, swimming in prohibited areas and even vandalism of safety and life saving equipment.

One source who works for a waterfront organisation, but who asked not to be identified, said there had even been reports of tourists at the Mayflower steps being abused and even had their bags picked up and thrown into the water. It led to the Harbour Authorities Liaison Committee issuing an appeal for action as well as a warning that lives could be put at risk if the antisocial behaviour continued unabated and unchecked.

Kim Downer, interim CEO, Plymouth Waterfront Partnership, told Plymouth-Live that the behaviour waterfront businesses and staff were witnessing “by a small minority is antisocial and dangerous”. She added that action was needed because “we don’t want this to be a visitor's lasting impression of our waterfront and city” and that businesses were being impacted.