Time to stop yobs – not reward them

THE lives of some people living in the Bedwell area of Stevenage are being made a misery by youths with nothing better to do than senselessly vandalise their properties. While there is no doubt something needs to be done to tackle this behaviour, it infur

THE lives of some people living in the Bedwell area of Stevenage are being made a misery by youths with nothing better to do than senselessly vandalise their properties.

While there is no doubt something needs to be done to tackle this behaviour, it infuriates me that these yobs appear to be being given special treatment by the very people they are tormenting.

Bedwell residents are working with Stevenage Borough Council (SBC) to provide youths with activities such as football, skating and bowling.

SBC is providing taxpayers' money for these events and it makes me angry.

It's putting out a message that if you consistently cause havoc in a neighbourhood and intimidate residents, you will be rewarded for your actions.

I know for some time Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has run courses for teenagers who have offended or are at risk of exclusion from school.

These little darlings have the opportunity to try on firefighters' uniforms and sit in cars while firefighters demonstrate how they cut someone out who is trapped following a road traffic accident. Meanwhile, those who behave well and are a credit to their parents miss out.

Perhaps instead of rewarding troublesome teenagers, laws should be toughened to deter them from committing crime in the first place.