Shadow minister calls for more action to tackle anti-social behaviour in Wirral SHADOW Home Secretary Chris Grayling called for more powers to help tackle anti-social behaviour in Wirral.
The Conservative MP met residents from Hillcroft Road in Poulton, whose roofs were damaged by teenagers during a seven-hour rampage on April 15, during the meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
He was told that the homeowners had been charged £117.34 by the council to clean up the wreckage left by the vandals. This week council leader Steve Foulkes ordered that the bills were scrapped.
Welcoming this move, Mr Grayling told the Globe: "This should never have happened in the first place and I'm glad that the council has reached an agreement on that issue.
"The one thing we mustn’t have is innocent people becoming victims of crime and anti-social behaviour and footing the bill themselves.
"So when we possibly can we have to make sure this doesn’t happen. But most importantly, we have got to stop such incidents of anti-social behaviour like this happening in the first place.
"I'm spending a lot of time putting my ear to the ground and talking to people who have experienced anti-social behaviour and criminality. Sadly, the Hillcroft Road residents’ story is not unique, and it’s a sign that we've got a big job ahead of us."
Debbie Williams, whose roof and guttering was damaged during the incident, said: "We had a chance to air our views on anti-social behaviour and to maybe get some points across.
"Hopefully these points will be taken on board by Mr Grayling, so that policies will be put in place that are tougher on young offenders so that people don’t have to go through what we went through.
"I think the fact that Mr Grayling has come and seen us while he was in the Wirral, he didn’t have to, shows that he is supportive of our campaign and will, hopefully, help make a difference."
THE GLOBE
At last the Council get something right!!
