Teens travel to small village to 'cause mayhem'
GoogleYouths have been travelling to a small rural village to "cause mayhem", according to residents and councillors.
They say teenagers are getting on trains from Middlesbrough to Great Ayton, shouting in the local shops, damaging signs and being abusive to elderly people who live there.
Councillor Heather Moorhouse said a regular group had been visiting the local waterfall and causing trouble, which has required the police to impose dispersal orders.
North Yorkshire Police's Insp Rory Sadler said the behaviour would "not be tolerated" and officers were working closely with the British Transport Police to ensure it was stopped.
"We've started going to the train station on days when we expect it to be busy and we use our body cams and get names of people coming off," he said.
"If incidents do happen, we've got CCTV footage and we're able to identify them quickly."
Moorhouse told the Local Democracy Reporting Service Great Ayton usually had very low levels of anti-social behaviour but the situation had "escalated" this summer.
Dave, a cashier at the town's Premier shop, said they had introduced a rule to only allow up to two teenagers inside at a time, but the rule was regularly flouted.
"We have a lot of trouble with the kids that do not obey the rules and come in and shout," he said.
"Some of our customers help and ask the kids why they are shouting in the shop."
The shop sign was damaged by some of the youths and the staff hope an increased police presence will stop further incidents.
Moorhouse claimed some of the children visiting the village were not even paying the train fare to get there.
British Transport Police has been approached for comment.
