ANTI-SOCIAL incidents in a town centre have resulted in people calling for police action.

The call comes after a disabled couple were left shaken after they were involved in an incident with a group of youths in Accrington town centre this week.

The couple, aged 50 and 51, both suffer from a number of on-going health issues and believe that they were specifically targeted by the group of young boys.

Speaking about the incident, the man, who does not wish to be named, said: “They just started verbally abusing and throwing snowballs and water balloons at us.

“There were five of them and they followed us from Wilkinson’s to the market where I called the police to report the incident.

“When we were at the market one of them grabbed a coat hanger from under one of the stalls and threw it at me.”

Anti-social behaviour continues to be reported despite a police crackdown last month, when a dispersal order was successfully applied, covering the town centre.

The order gives police the power to disperse anyone acting in an anti-social manner for a 48-hour period, and aims to make the area a safer and more pleasant place.

Anybody who chooses to ignore the order can be arrested and prosecuted.

The man also said that he had noticed anti-social behaviour outside the town boundaries as it extended to public transport links too.

“There always seems to be a group of children shouting and making a fuss on the buses, especially during the holidays.

“Before long this behaviour will stop a lot of people from wanting to go in to town,” he said.

Speaking about what more needs to be done to prevent this kind of behaviour, the man said: “Parents need to be more responsible and the police need to be more active.

“The kids always seem to target more vulnerable people, elderly or disabled, like my wife and I - the police have to do more about this.”

Police have previously warned parents of anti-social youngsters to keep an eye on their children, saying they will be liable for the cost of any prosecution and fines.