Nottinghamshire Police patrols to be stepped up after claims Farndon and Newark teens are making residents' lives a misery

Patrols are to be stepped up after it was claimed teenagers from Farndon and Newark were making lives a misery for residents.

Farndon Parish Council said sometimes it felt like the village was under siege.

One resident said the problems had been ongoing since at least October of last year, but were worse as a result of lockdown and the teens being off school for a prolonged period.

David Lloyd, leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said the behaviour was absolutely unacceptable and night-time patrols would take place in hotspot areas.

Youths cause issues where they meet up, places such as the bus shelter on Main Street, Farndon, the Trent riverside and the children’s play area, which was recently closed because of the amount of smashed vodka bottles that littered the ground.

A resident spoke of how she was surrounded by youths when she called the police while trying to break up a fight near her home.

“This group and others from Newark have been terrorising the village,” she added.

“They have vandalised the riverside area and the benches outside the Farndon Ferry and left the area littered.

“They have been throwing rubbish at people, throwing stones at them and their cars, shouting and swearing at them and calling people paedophiles.

“They have been bullying people. This has gone beyond anti-social behaviour.

“It’s a small group of teenagers from our village aged 15 to 19 causing this mayhem with the teenagers from Newark who come down to Farndon through the underpass.

“Everybody knows who they are but the police’s resources seem to be too stretched to give us adequate attention or they lack the powers to resolve it.”

Another resident said: “Clearly people are deciding to destroy things in our lovely village for the sake of it.”

Council leader Mr Lloyd said: “We have already taken enforcement action on a number of individuals together with the police and will be sending out community safety surveys to all nearby properties in the hotspot areas in Farndon to gather more information. Any additional information strengthens a case, potentially enabling a tougher punishment.

“The police and members of our Public Protection Team will be conducting night time patrols in those areas to engage with the young people concerned. The Youth Service have also been approached to assist.

“Understandably, residents are concerned and are frequently venting their frustrations via social media but we really need them to report issues via the proper channels as it helps us build a bigger picture of what is going on. Reporting incidents formally is vital in helping us and the police put resources in the right places at the right times.

“We understand that some people may not wish to share their details. If that is the case, you can report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Farndon Parish Council said: “The council is aware of the reports of anti-social behaviour that the village has sadly experienced since October and during lockdown.

“Sometimes it felt as if our village was under siege, with residents feeling they were not safe to go on their normal daily walk.

“The parish council has encouraged all incidents of anti-social behaviour to be reported to the police via the 101 number or the online portal, and to dial 999 if a crime has been committed or is in progress.

“Behind the scenes, the parish council has been liaising with Newark Police and was pleased to meet with the new beat manager, Pc Harry Shaw, as soon as he came in to post.

“Sadly, reports are still coming in and the council will continue to liaise with external agencies to get support for the community."

Pc Shaw said: “Farndon is a great place to live and as beat manager for the area, I’m committed to working with the local community to ensure that it remains that way.

“Compared to other areas in the county, Farndon experiences low levels of anti-social behaviour and we receive relatively few reports of any troubling incidents.

“Despite that, I have met with the parish council who have communicated with residents about what they should do if there are instances of anti-social behaviour.

“I have provided my mobile number as well as that of the local Police Community Support Officer, which are displayed on posters around the village.

“Any residents who do have concerns should get in touch and we will be happy to look into them.”