Police have identified a number of youths after residents raised concerns about anti-social behaviour in Culcheth. Warrington East Police said officers worked with Culcheth High School on Tuesday to identify young people seen in footage provided by local residents.
That is the positive bit, and credit where it is due. Residents supplied evidence, the school cooperated, and the police appear to have moved quickly rather than letting the whole thing drift into the usual fog of we are making enquiries.
The concerns come after reports of anti-social behaviour in the area, including incidents linked to The Daten. Earlier in the week, the Warrington Guardian reported, through Senior Reporter Lois Dean, that police had been told about trespassing involving teenagers at the sports club.
The Daten's owners said they had faced a number of problems with anti-social behaviour and trespassing. The latest example was on Saturday night, when several young teenagers reportedly scaled closed fences in an attempt to get onto the 3G pitch.
And here is the part where every sensible person in Culcheth collectively raises an eyebrow. Anti-climb paint had apparently been installed earlier that same day, yet the fences were still treated like an audition for a low-budget action film. It is not daring, it is not funny, and it is certainly not fair on a community sports club that should not have to spend its time and money dealing with this nonsense.
There is, of course, a balance to strike. Young people making poor decisions should be dealt with properly and proportionately, not written off forever. But accountability matters. Residents should not have to become amateur CCTV analysts, and local clubs should not have to fortify themselves like medieval castles just to protect a pitch.
The original report also included a note about an exclusive subscriber partnership with USA Today and said it did not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald, which is a slightly surreal detour for a story about Culcheth. Still, the local issue is clear enough: people are fed up, the police are now involved, and Culcheth High School has helped identify those believed to be involved.