Teenage drinking parties on school field

[Woodchiponthewall]

My house backs on to a secondary school playing field which cannot be fenced off as a right of way runs through it (although this is rarely used as it goes nowhere). Last Spring/Summer teenagers started gathering for parties on weekend evenings on the field, many of them drinking and causing a bit of a fuss for us living nearby. I contacted the council and the school but emails were ignored and calls never returned. These parties quickly took hold and escalated until there was routinely 50 or more kids turning up, some getting dropped off by parents, most with alcohol. The litter/noise was an issue, and although I am not one for demonising young people, it just felt wrong. After a couple of hours the kids were clearly really pissed. We live in a quiet, family area and were totally taken aback by this. I started to ring the non emergency police every time they turned up, as I was worried about drunk kids (some maybe as young as 13) on an unlit field until late at night, and was alarmed to see cars start to pull up/much older kids/young adults arrive. The police were pretty useless; they sent pcso's who sometimes moved them on/sometimes asked them to keep it down and sometimes simply moved them to a bottom section of the field away from houses. Predictably, myself and the neighbours started to have cars keyed/stones thrown at houses etc, all of which was reported but never really followed up. I eventually forced a meeting with someone from the school and got confirmation that the fields were school property, and I therefore told the police the kids were trespassing and they moved them. I think these parties also naturally came to an end when the school broke up for the summer and kids didn't have the week at school to plan and Monday morn to gossip about them.
Now as the clocks change and the evenings get longer, I am anxious this will all happen again. After thinking it over the last year, I feel we were let down quite badly by the school/police/council anti social behaviour team as for months nothing was done and a lot of my emails/calls were responded to with 'but what are they actually doing?'. As I mentioned I am not against teenagers hanging out, but in such large numbers, drinking, screaming as they go up and down the street, staying out until gone midnight it felt like we were under siege. I therefore emailed the school a month ago and asked for a meeting to consider how this could be prevented in anticipation of the better weather, and once again have been ignored. AIBU to kick up a bit of a fuss? I am mindful of not seeming hysterical and letting kids have some freedom, but as I said it just feels quite extreme to turn a blind eye to, and it makes it hellish for the people on my street, many of whom are old and were distressed by the gatherings. Many parents are surely not aware what is happening. I am wondering if it is reasonable to send a further email the school telling them I will contact the local councillors/MP to try and apply a bit of pressure. I'd appreciate any thoughts/similar experiences of anti social behaviour being ignored.

My house backs on to a secondary school playing field which cannot be fenced off as a right of way runs through it (although this is rarely used as it goes nowhere).

Last Spring/Summer teenagers started gathering for parties on weekend evenings on the field, many of them drinking and causing a bit of a fuss for us living nearby.

I contacted the council and the school but emails were ignored and calls never returned. These parties quickly took hold and escalated until there was routinely 50 or more kids turning up, some getting dropped off by parents, most with alcohol.

The litter/noise was an issue, and although I am not one for demonising young people, it just felt wrong. After a couple of hours the kids were clearly really pissed. We live in a quiet, family area and were totally taken aback by this.

I started to ring the non emergency police every time they turned up, as I was worried about drunk kids (some maybe as young as 13) on an unlit field until late at night, and was alarmed to see cars start to pull up/much older kids/young adults arrive.

The police were pretty useless; they sent pcso's who sometimes moved them on/sometimes asked them to keep it down and sometimes simply moved them to a bottom section of the field away from houses.

Predictably, myself and the neighbours started to have cars keyed/stones thrown at houses etc, all of which was reported but never really followed up. I eventually forced a meeting with someone from the school and got confirmation that the fields were school property, and I therefore told the police the kids were trespassing and they moved them. I think these parties also naturally came to an end when the school broke up for the summer and kids didn't have the week at school to plan and Monday morn to gossip about them.

Now as the clocks change and the evenings get longer, I am anxious this will all happen again. After thinking it over the last year, I feel we were let down quite badly by the school/police/council anti social behaviour team as for months nothing was done and a lot of my emails/calls were responded to with 'but what are they actually doing?'.

As I mentioned I am not against teenagers hanging out, but in such large numbers, drinking, screaming as they go up and down the street, staying out until gone midnight it felt like we were under siege.

I therefore emailed the school a month ago and asked for a meeting to consider how this could be prevented in anticipation of the better weather, and once again have been ignored.

AIBU to kick up a bit of a fuss? I am mindful of not seeming hysterical and letting kids have some freedom, but as I said it just feels quite extreme to turn a blind eye to, and it makes it hellish for the people on my street, many of whom are old and were distressed by the gatherings.

Many parents are surely not aware what is happening. I am wondering if it is reasonable to send a further email the school telling them I will contact the local councillors/MP to try and apply a bit of pressure. I'd appreciate any thoughts/similar experiences of anti social behaviour being ignored.

It's more than reasonable in my opinion

I find it utterly bizarre that the school, police and council don't seem to be bothered.

As well as complaining to your MP (collecting signatures from you neighbours would add weight to your complaint btw), I would be contacting your local authority and telling them what takes place on a school property...pointing out that the school don't seem to care.

Then at the first sign of it starting up again, it would be the local papers for me...not so much even to complain about the kids but the lace of Police/School/Council interest.

I'm so sorry for my presumptuousness but I've reposted your OP with paragraphs as I couldn't read it without and thought you might get more responses.

I will read it properly now.

*lack - not lace!

Thanks Mrs Flannel - I think I was trying to conceal how much I had gone on!

Worraliberty - thanks for that useful advice and also perspective; it is bizarre that they are ignoring it, I assume to try and dodge any responsibility.

It's shocking that it's being ignored both by the school and the police, thise parents too dropping off the kids, what's that all about?

Round here, the police are shit hot on underage drinking if they get wind of it.

Yy to Worra's suggestions, get the press involved ,that'll probably shake their lazy arses.

Which part of the council have you been contacting? I think the most effective thing will actually be to contact the police every time it is happening. There can't be many areas where the police wouldn't go out and speak to a large group of underage drinkers. I don't think the sxhool can do much.

I live next to a primary I'm dreading the lighter nights they all seem to congregate on the football pitch they are usually ok till about 10 and then they go nuts climbing in garden s shrieking and being a bloody nuisance the police get called and that seems to wind them up more I'm sure they enjoy the chase , op keep phoning the police if they start up

We always rang 101 when it was actually happening. Sometimes they would come out and speak to them, sometimes not. I contacted an anti social behaviour team at the council which serves a larger area, and initially the person I spoke to was really supportive and disbelieving, and was going to look into loads of measures about what could be done. When she eventually got back to me 3 weeks later she had changed her approach to 'but what are they actually doing?' and also insinuated it was better the kids were tucked away rather than in the centre of town! It is weird isn't it?!

I think you always assume police etc will act and it is a big surprise when they don't.

That's interesting to hear Mrs Jay. It's horrid to be apprehensive about better weather! Do the school take any responsibility as it is their land?

i should imagine they idea wont be so appealing this year. it took hold last year but may well be a different bunch of people.

The school did install cctv tbf but maybe where the kids gather is a blind spot or something

Get together with neighbours and ask the police to consider a dispersal order:www.cps.gov.uk/legal/d_to_g/dispersal_orders/

Firstly, wait and see if it does start again. Hopefully not, but if it does you are totally reasonable to complain. The school's reaction really surprises me. It is on their property, the kids are probably their students, it damages their reputation. I know it is out of school hours but I know the school I work at would not want it happening and would be working with the police etc. Older teenagers turning up in cars, alcohol, recipe for disaster. Before anyone thinks I am a joyless old fart, I did stuff like this when I was a teenager but having worked with teenagers for a long time now the risks of sexual assault, pregnancy etc are scary. The number of teenage pregnancies that begin in this situation - I know of at least two girls who weren't even sure if they had had sex before they discovered they were pregnant, because they had been so drunk. Probably technically rape if they couldn't give consent. If the school won't reply - bad in itself - make a formal complaint to the chair of governors, 1 about the lack of replies and 2 about the issue.

Thanks lb. I agree with you. I also work with young people and know what can and does happen and it worries me from a safeguarding perspective, all of which I have put in writing in emails and told the police.

It is probably sensible to wait and see if it does actually start up again this year, but the waiting actually makes me feel pretty anxious!

Play Barry Manilow at full blast from the bottom of your garden - that should put them off....

I agree I'm not some grouchy cowbag either i was a teenager i have them but mass gathering are a recipe for disaster someone needs to be responsible imo.

And in my day if you were caught drinking you were taken home my mother would scare any teenager not to drink

I would hate this to happen close to my home too, but what do you want the school and/or police to do?

Move them elsewhere to become someone else's problem? Tell them they're not allowed to congregate anywhere?

Because turning up, confiscating any visible alcohol, moving them further away from properties, reminding them about noise volume and - should the need arise - taking any underage drunks home to their parents, may be all they can do.

Because turning up, confiscating any visible alcohol, moving them further away from properties, reminding them about noise volume and - should the need arise - taking any underage drunks home to their parents, may be all they can do.
That is all I would expect them to do - I wouldn't want them prosecuted.

What you describe nequid would be really proactive and if it happened consistently would keep any more serious issues in check. I too would not want anyone in trouble with the police. But it isn't all youthful hijinks either - there was damage to cars, huge amounts of litter and broken glass left etc.
In terms of them not being allowed to congregate anywhere, where is the cut off point would you say? 50 teenagers? 100? It wouldn't be acceptable for adults to host huge late night parties on school grounds so why should it be for kids?

If your local council hasn't completely decimated its youth service, it may be worth giving them a call. They might have roving outreach workers who go and chat to the teenagers. It might make no difference, but it might be a diversion for them.

It is possible - difficult but not impossible - to get a right of way closed if you have a good reason. Have you thought about applying to the council to have the RofW terminated on account of the nuisance (in the legal sense) that is being caused by these parties preventing you enjoying your own property in peace?

I don't know what the cut off would be woodchip, but at present the police do not seem to think that the group in your area have exceeded it.

Of course adults are allowed to congregate if they are not causing a nuisance. My extended family regularly meet up for picnics in public places - parks and beaches, and there might be up to 30 of us (8 families).

I guess the really key thing is whether they are actually doing anything wrong, in which case could you press for a Dispersal Order?

I find it hard to believe that the school aren't doing anything if they are having to regularly clear litter and glass from their property, and are receiving complaints from neighbours.