YOUNGSTERS are in desperate need of a recreational shelter to stop them wandering the streets, a council heard.

North Turton parish councillor Sandra McGuinness highlighted the plight of bored children in Belmont.

She said at Monday night's meeting that teenagers were hanging around because they had nowhere to meet.

An original shelter, on Belmont Recreation Ground, was damaged and demolished two years ago.

Coun McGuinness said people were "trying to get the facility back again as it was desperately needed and was literally just taken away."

She said there was a lot of strong feeling in the village about the shelter and if none was provided it "would be a recipe for vandalism."

Councillors looked at a design for a proposed shelter during the meeting but some felt it was a 'fair weather design'.

Chairman Marion Thomas said : "It doesn't look very weather proof to me."

Clerk to the Parish Council Alyn Hughes said: "The information we have is very sketchy."

Coun McGuinness said youths were wandering around the village with nowhere to go and that if necessary Belmont Village Association would put cash towards the shelter.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is set to foot the bill for the replacement shelter. The parish council agreed to contact Blackburn to confirm what cash was available.