Police agree to meeting over bank holiday anti-social behaviour

* Just some of the rubbish left behind on the bridge on bank holiday Monday.

After being made aware of local concerns about the upsurge of anti-social behaviour which hit Llangollen on bank holiday Monday, North Wales Police have agreed to a top-level meeting to discuss possible future solutions.

Police have come under fire for their lack of presence on the streets when a large group of people, some of them drinking, gathered on the bridge to cheer on youths jumping from the parapet down into the river then leaving behind a large amount of litter and rubbish.

At the other end of town narrow country lanes in the area became blocked by scores of illegally parked vehicles around the Horseshoe Falls, again with no police on hand. 

This week, on behalf of town councillors, town clerk Gareth Thomas wrote to the police suggesting that these problems, plus others he mentioned from the bank holiday, needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

He has now received a reply from Denbighshire and Conwy inspector Joseph Dunn who agrees that a meeting of stakeholders should take place.

Insp Dunn says: "I am grateful that you have taken the time to bring these matters to our attention and to provide specific examples of the issues being experienced by residents, businesses and visitors. 

"The incidents you describe, including disorder associated with street drinking, nuisance vehicle-related activity within residential areas, and the concerning behaviour directed towards rafting groups at Riverside Park, are clearly matters that can have a significant impact on public confidence, community wellbeing and perceptions of safety.

"I am aware that Llangollen experiences unique challenges as a busy and popular visitor destination, and it is important that we continue to balance the needs of residents, local businesses and visitors whilst ensuring that unacceptable behaviour is addressed appropriately, and by the correct agency. 

"My officers will continue to assess reports received and work with partners to identify opportunities to prevent and tackle anti-social behaviour where it occurs. We have had great success with this across the district previously.

"I welcome your suggestion of bringing relevant organisations together to discuss the concerns that have been raised. 

"Given the range of issues identified, many of which involve a number of agencies and stakeholders, I believe it would be beneficial to initially convene a meeting of key partners to review the concerns in more detail, share information and develop a coordinated response where appropriate.

"This approach will allow us to better understand the nature and extent of the issues being experienced, identify where responsibility for each particular matters sits, and consider what practical measures may be available to individual organisations and us as a collective group before engaging more widely with the community."

And referring to a public meeting, he adds: "Following those discussions, I would be happy to consider further engagement with residents, businesses and community representatives to discuss the issues, outline any proposed actions and gather additional feedback.

"Thank you again for raising these concerns. I look forward to working with the Town Council and our partners to address the issues identified and support the continued safety and wellbeing of the town, residents and visitors." 

Llangollen's new town mayor, Cllr Damon Richards-Gwilliam, who strongly supported arranging talks with the police, said: "This is an issue which caused so much concern in the town that it clearly required discussions with the police at a high level. I am therefore delighted to see that the inspector has agreed to an early meeting when solutions can hopefully be found."