SUNNYBANK residents may force a U-turn from town hall bosses over plans to build a youth shelter for the area's bored teenagers.

Around 100 residents left local councillors in no doubt about their opposition to the proposal, which have already received planning permission.

Many locals worry that the proposed shelter will become a haven to those already responsible for vandalism, graffiti, noise and general teenage disorder in the area.

Councillors have now agreed to consult more widely, and say no work will start on the site in the meantime. It's another blow for Unsworth youths who have played a key role in drawing up the plans with the help of a £500 council grant. They had complained of having nowhere to go in the evenings once the local youth club closed, and wanted to build a closed, seated, fenced-in shelter. But earlier this month, their application for £5,000 from the Whitefield and Unsworth area board was deferred.

Councillors say there was a "heated debate" when they met with residents, youth workers and police representatives at a meeting at Sunnybank CP School.

Young people, who also attended the meeting, found general sympathy for improved youth and community facilities based around the local youth centre. In contrast, they found "implacable opposition" to the shelter from residents worried about nuisance problems in an inappropriate site.

After a two-hour debate, residents agreed to further consultation measures to be led by local councillors over the next three weeks, including another public meeting at the end of the month.

Unsworth councillor Gordon Sharkey says he supports the residents in their fight to stop the shelter going ahead.

He said that youths were damaging fences and cars and using gardens as public toilets elsewhere in the locality, and this proposal might merely transfer the problem.

The findings would be presented to the executive committee for decision.

Councillor John Byrne, deputy council leader, said: "Views of all sectors of the local community will be taken into consideration and no work will start on this site until such time as we have properly considered local people's views."