A CONTROVERSIAL youth shelter plagued by litter and anti-social behaviour has been reprieved for another year.

Councillors on Ribble Valley borough’s community services committee decided the structure in Henthorn Road, Clitheroe, should stay for another 12 months while officials and the police tried to solve its problems.

In May the shelter, installed some years ago as part of Lancashire County Council’s youth work programme, was given a stay of execution.

On Tuesday night the committee considered its future again.

A report from Mark Beveridge, head of the council’s leisure services, told them: “The issues with the shelter have not gone away and, despite a regular cleaning regime to remove litter, complaints have still been received.”

It voted decisively and ask the next meeting of the borough’s Community Safety Partnership with the police to look at addition measures to tackle anti-social behaviour there.

Cllr Simon Hore, committee chair, said: “We decided to reprieve the shelter for another 12 months and look at how to mitigate the problems there.

"The young people need somewhere to go.”

Primrose Liberal Democrat Cllr Mary Robinson said: “It was the right decision. We felt that with all the cuts in youth services it would be unfair to take something else away from the town’s young people.

"The problems can de dealt with.”