“TEENAGE troublemakers” are holding a youth club at Lostock Gralam Community Centre to ransom, claims a parish councillor.

The club was founded in 2003 for children from the local and surrounding areas, and runs from 5.30pm to 7pm every Tuesday.

In the summer months the club has the use of the community centre park, and children enjoy outdoor games and activities.

However the club has not taken place for several months because it cannot guarantee the health and safety of its younger members when playing outside due to the behaviour of a number of older teenagers.

“In order to protect the health and safety of its younger members the club is going to have to close between April and September every year,” said Ann McEllin, a member of Lostock Gralam Parish Council and treasurer of the youth club.

“That is really sad because the club is being held to ransom by two or three teenage troublemakers.”

She said a small number of “cheeky teenagers” come to the club and “throw their weight around.”

“They are very abusive to the people who run the youth club, entirely voluntarily, and also put at risk the health and safety of the young children,” she said.

Ann was speaking at the latest parish council meeting, and recommended that the council sought legal advice on how it could hire out the play equipment to the youth club.

She added: “All it needs is for somebody to go out there and tell a handful of teenagers that there are two other play areas in the village, but between 5.30pm and 7pm the play area at the community centre is for the exclusive use of the youth club – I cannot see why we cannot do that.”

The council agreed to look at the legal implications of possibly hiring out the play area to the youth club.

Council clerk Nicola Clarke said that such a move would give the club complete control of the whole area, and may help to resolve the issues relating to anti-social behaviour.

Youth club membership is £2 a year, plus 50p per session.