POLICE have continued to make progress clamping down in street drinkers in Bridgwater's Binford Place, but Angel Place is now being targeted by youths.

In Binford Place, police have been working for the past two months to reduce anti-social behaviour, and have handed out ten dispersal orders and three community protection warnings to offenders.

But in the past six weeks, Bridgwater's High Street shopping centre, Angel Place has seen three separate incidents causing £5,000 worth of damage.

PC Dom Bryant was reporting to Bridgwater Town Council at Thursday's meeting and said since the Binford Place operation had begun there had been a two-thirds reduction in calls regarding anti-social behaviour.

"We have moved some people to Salmon Parade, there is less residential properties there and we have CCTV in place," PC Bryant said.

"We have also given training one of our PCSOs so that he can issue community protections warnings.

"We have issued three of these community protection warnings, one has been very successful, two have seen breaches those two people have been ordered to attend court."

Cllr Brian Smedley thanked PC Bryant for his report and said the police were doing good work with limited resources.

But Eastover resident Steve Choram was less impressed, saying there was still a serious problem.

"One night last week one of the drunk people was up on the bridge railings. I know the police cannot be there 24/7 but this needs addressing or there will be a serious incident," Mr Choram said.

Town clerk Alan Hurford went on to explain about a series of incidents at Angel Place in recent weeks after receiving a letter from the centre's manager Roger Smith.

All three incidents are believed to involve school age children. The first saw youths climbing over the railings into the car park and throwing tiles off the roof and into the street at 1.30am.

A second incident involved a group of young people break windows with stones on the upper level, then on Saturday, August 26, a youth of 13 or 14 was caught on CCTV lifting their scooter over their head and deliberately ramming it into the glass door.

The youth were then seen to take a run and a jump at the glazing before two more teens took it upon themselves to kick in the door. Out of nowhere it seems to have become a target.

Angel Place manager Roger Smith said: "Angel Place seems to have become a target out of nowhere and I am concerned about the level of anti-social behaviour in the town.

"It is this sort of behaviour that could have an impact on whether companies choose to set up their businesses in Bridgwater, and therefore I hope for a speedy resolution to this."