A VILLAGE youth shelter scheme which has led to a dramatic fall in juvenile nuisance calls is through to the finals of a crime prevention and community awards scheme.

The shelter at Briercliffe was designed and sited with the help of local youngsters to provide somewhere they could gather in safety but far enough away from local residents so as not to cause a disturbance.

In the following two years there has been a two-thirds drop in the number of nuisance calls police have received.

The scheme is one of five in the North West short-listed for the third annual CGU British Crime Prevention and Community Safety Awards alongside entries from Merseyside, Blackpool, Tatton, and Tameside.

The national winning scheme will receive a trophy and £1,000 to be presented by HRH The Princess Royal in London on October 27.

The national winner will then go to a European Awards judging in December.

The Burnley scheme has attracted national interest, with people from other areas visiting Briercliffe to measure its success. Community police sergeant Jim Masterman said the shelter created a venue where young people, aged from 12-18 could meet to "do their own thing.''

Before the shelter was built in February, 1997, local residents repeatedly complained about young people being disorderly and affecting the lives and businesses of people in the area.

Sgt Masterman said the shelter was built as a result of co-operation between the police, the local community and most importantly the young people themselves.

It had resulted in a 67 per cent drop in nuisance calls to Briercliffe and a 87 per cent decrease in vandalism costs to play parks and leisure facilities for young children.

An application has been made this week for funds to build a similar youth shelter in Padiham.

Nigel Whiskin, chief executive of Crime Concern which organises the awards, said 23 entries were received in the North West.

A shortlist of five, including Briercliffe, had been judged to represent the very best practice in community crime prevention and safety.

Three of the five short-listed projects involve work with young people.

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