A COMMUNITY garden where groups of young men have been seen drinking and smoking cannabis is being patrolled by police after residents and councillors raised concerns.

Councillors told a PACT meeting they had received a raft of complaints about the late-night anti-social behaviour in Valley Gardens, Barnoldswick.

Local neighbourhood officer PC Matt Lunney pledged to increase late-night patrols in the area.

Coun David Whipp said the problem was long-standing and he and town councillor Claire Teall had even gone to the park to clean up one Saturday morning.

He said: “Clare and I cleaned up after a group of young men had put a blue sofa in the park and partied there.

“They left empty alcohol bottles and it was a real mess. While I welcome the increased patrols, the police can’t be there 24/7.

“A lot of the people who have been congregating there are young Polish men and I think a discussion needs to take place so people who are new to Barnoldswick know that certain things are not acceptable here.”

Last weekend was the first time neighbourhood police teams embarked on a late evening patrol of the garden.

Former councillor Lindsay Gaskell, who first raised the issue to policing teams earlier in the year, said: “I think that it will work well and I have a good contact in PC Matt Lunney. I am going to contact him each time we have a problem in this area to see that it is dealt with.

“A family who live close by contacted me yesterday after they saw people smoking cannabis in the park and I called PC Lunney who attended the scene.

“Unfortunately, by the time he’d arrived, they had gone but I am confident that residents, councillors and the police working together in this way in the future will help solve the issue.

“If anyone in the area has any complaints about anti-social behaviour, I urge them to contact me so that I can liaise with PC Lunney.”

Barnoldswick councillor Lyle Davy said: “I think that with swift action from PC Lunney, we should be able to nip this in the bud pretty quickly.

“We don’t want residents being disturbed late at night. A police presence in the area should put a stop to it.”