A ‘PEAK’ of late-night anti social behaviour and nuisance in a Darwen park is being targeted by police.

A special anti-social behaviour vehicle has been deployed to Bold Venture Park and the local area after a raft of complaints from residents.

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Neighbourhood policing bobby PC Scott Boast is also to change his shifts to tackle the problem.

For the second month running noise, nuisance and rowdiness caused by groups of youths at the green space near the town centre topped the agenda of the meeting of the Friends of Bold Venture Park.

After the concerns expressed in July, new community bobby PC Boast and his colleague PCSO Carly Hardman attended to discuss the anti-social behaviour problem and issues of speeding cars racing around the perimeter roads of the park.

Members of the group also told them about late night activity in park.

They also told PC Boast there had been young people in the park play area all night, shouting and howling over the last weekend in July and similar ‘shouting, and howling’ on the first weekend in August with youths as young as 12 going into the park with backpacks to stay the night.

Darwen’s inspector Abid Khan said: “I am aware of the issues at Bold Venture Park.

“I am satisfied that the measures outlined to the meeting by PC Boast and being implemented by him, PCSO Hardman and the community Sergeant Dave Sherrington are adequate to deal with these issues.

“I shall review these measures and if necessary deploy addition resources as required.”

Sunnyhurst ward Councillor Brian Taylor, who attended the meeting, said: “There has certainly been a peak of anti-social behaviours in the park recently.

“It always gets worse with the school holidays.

“I am satisfied with what PC Boast said to the meeting and delighted with the assurances from Inspector Khan that further resources will be deployed if necessary.”

The community constable also promised action to tackle the speeding cars, one which had crashed into parked vehicles, and drivers exiting the health centre car park the wrong way.

He asked for the friends group’s opinion on installing speed bumps on roads round the park perimeter.