SECURITY patrols and nuisance orders are to be used to combat troublemakers on a Darwen estate.

Police and councillors put forward the scheme after hearing complaints from dozens of residents from the Anchor Estate at a meeting at the Akzo Nobel Social Club in Earcroft last night.

Jean Thompson, Darwen housing area manager, told residents that a pilot scheme was due to be launched throughout Darwen from September 27, taking in Birch Hall and other smaller estates.

She said: "We will be working with the Specialist Property Services company, whose primary role is to look after security in empty council properties.

"They do 24-hour security patrols to check empty houses on council estates. If they pick up any problems on the estate they can feed information back to the police."

The security patrols will be funded by the council and, if successful, will be extended to cover the whole borough.

Inspector Stuart Coates of Darwen Police explained that from October 1, police will be able to serve an anti-social behaviour order on youths who are continually causing nuisance.

A child found causing a nuisance will be reported to police. Parents will receive a letter straight away. If the child continues to misbehave a second letter will be sent out to parents, the child's school, and the educational welfare officer.

If they misbehave a third time, an order, which could include a curfew and other restrictions, can be served.

But teenagers at the meeting said they were fed up with being blamed for problems.

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