GOTHS and Moshers were escorted away from Blackburn town centre on Saturday after police and a local business teamed up to find them a safer place to hang out.

The teenagers were taken by police from Church Street to the Cellar Bar on King Street where they were entertained with a band while a bar served non-alcoholic drinks.

Police hope the new facility each Saturday will help ward off trouble between groups of adolescents after a series of incidents in the town centre since last weekend.

Sergeant Phil Davies said: "There were a few sporadic incidents of trouble on Saturday after all the issues between the Goths and 'Townies' over the past few days.

"I think it has been built up over the week that there would be trouble, so from about 2pm we escorted several of the Goths and Moshers down to the Cellar Bar.

"The manager there has very kindly offered to open the bar on a non-alcohol basis to give the youngsters somewhere warm and safe to hang out among their friends.

"Parents we have spoken to seem very happy with the idea too. In some ways the youngsters were more of a sitting duck for trouble in Church Street."

More than 50 youngsters gathered at the King Street bar.

Lead singer of the band If All Else Fails, Rik Holden, said the general feedback was good. He added: "It is the first time we have played during the day like this, but a lot of our younger fans have requested day time gigs."

Complaints were first made against the Goths and Moshers, who often wear dark make-up and baggy clothes, by the town centre managers.

They were accused of intimidating shoppers and Blackburn Shopping Centre manager Arnold Wilcox-Wood had called on the police to find a solution.

Kimberley Ireland, 19 and Daniel Allen, 18, both from Accrington, said the trouble between Goths and 'Townies' dated back a long way.

"There is always going to be friction between two groups of people who are very different," she said.

"But we are one big family and will look after one another.

"It is good to have somewhere we can all meet and I hope there won't be any trouble.

"We don't feel like we have been shoved in a corner, but it was better on Church Street when we could wander around."