THE Young people of Abergavenny are to be encouraged to participate in a game of bowls in order to tackle vandalism and anti social behaviour on the bowling green in Bailey Park.
In an attempt to stop the green from being vandalised members of Abergavenny Bowls Club met with County Councillor Jane Foulser, PC Angela Rees and Sergeant Wayne Yandle of Abergavenny police to discuss ways in which it can be stopped.
After a long discussion Abergavenny police and the bowls committee now plan to contact Monmouthshire Youth Service to invite youngsters for a game of bowls, to persuade them to take part rather than mock it.
Sergeant Yandle said, "We will get in contact with Monmouthshire Youth Service to invite them along to play and learn about the game.
"If they were involved in the club, they wouldn't want it vandalised or abuse shouted but currently they don't understand what harm they are causing.
Sometimes if they don't know how to get involved, they easiest thing for them to do is mock it. We will also come along and even get involved to show them we are not pushing them into an elite club."
For a number of years the bowling green in Bailey Park has been the victim of continual abuse from the hedge being set on fire, football being played and riding bikes on it as well as abuse being shouted at players.
One of the main problems of concern to the members are the number of youths drinking alcohol within the secluded area of the bowling green, leaving bottles, cans and cigarette packets to picked up by bowls players before a match.
Brenda Fitzpatrick, secretary of the ladies bowls said, "It has been going on for a few years but this year it has been particularly bad. Youngsters have been using the green to drink alcohol, we come in to smashed bottles on the path. There is all sorts going on, under age drinking, under age sex, we don't know what we are coming into half the time. We had a match on Tuesday and before we could play we picked up a black bag full of bottles.
"We call the police but by the time they come, they have run away. It doesn't mean anything to the youngsters but to the elderly it's disastrous. We can not comprehend why they are doing it."
In defence of the police, Councillor Foulser said, "The difficulty for the police it that they haven't got the man power, they are many problems in the town and this is just one of them."
Sergeant Yandle said, "We have got a Neighbourhood Policing Team who tackle low level anti social behaviour and are out on foot patrol. I run a team of 10 who work different shifts and have different ward responsibilities, but we are looking to increase the cover but the bowling green and parks have been flagged up as problem areas."
He reassured the members that officers do patrol the area, "Officers walk round in the evening's they may not be seen by yourselves but they are about."
Mike Foden, treasurer of the men's bowls said he is concerned that with the school holidays just weeks away the problem will be worse during the day, currently, there are no problems during the school hours and asked if the police could patrol the area after the matches have been played when it is known that youngsters congregate at the green.
Sergeant Yandle said, "We have PACT meetings where people in the community tell us their problems, we prioritise these into three main issues per ward and work with various agencies to tackle the problem, and the bowling green is one of these problems.
"We as police officers are not the only ones who can encourage this to stop."
He added, "This (bowls) is a quality of life for older people it's their enjoyment, just a few youngsters giving verbal abuse can destroy that enjoyment, if we can stop the lower level anti social behaviour, people will have a better quality of life."
The police and the bowls committee are now planning to get in contact with Monmouthshire Youth Service in the hope they can encourage youngsters to take part and help them realise what impact they have if they continue to abuse the green and it's players.