DRUNKEN teenagers have been having underage sex in broad daylight on the roof of a Middleton school.
After numerous incidences of youth vandalism, drunkenness and debauchery, parents and teachers were appalled after yet another reception class-aged child found a used condom in the playground of Elm Wood School, Elm Street, on Tuesday.
When pupils returned on Monday after the Easter break they were confronted with scenes reminiscent of a 'war zone', with the newly-surfaced soft play area lying torn up and scattered across the playground among beer cans and condoms.
Headteacher Alan Torr said: 'It's absolutely horrific. I'm so upset and disgusted.
'This is the third or fourth time it's happened in the last month.
'It's horrendous not only for pupils and parents, but for the neighbours, too. I feel really sorry for them.'
The Middleton Guardian was told that up to 60 vandals regularly invade the grounds and spend the whole night drinking and carousing, leaving a trail of dangerous debris in their wake.
During the Easter holidays a young couple were spotted having sex on the roof of the nursery at around 6pm, while a girl of about 13 was seen on a bench, displaying her genitalia to a gang of youths.
Shockingly, there are also reports from residents that adults are delivering crates of beer to the gangs. The consensus of opinion is that these people may be from businesses which sell alcohol, profiting from the underage drinking trade.
Those who have to suffer the consequences are wondering why local parents are letting their teenagers run amok at all hours of the night. One local resident said that on Good Friday three boys and three girls, aged about 14, were seen leaving the school with sleeping bags, having spent all night outside.
The pensioner said: 'It's hellish here, and it's been steadily getting getting worse since it started about 18 months to two years ago. Residents have even stopped ringing the police as they 'don't do anything about it'."
Disruption
Despite the level of the disruption and possible health scares for young pupils, security measures have not been put into place to put a stop to the bedlam.
Mr Torr said: 'We've tried for three years to get decent fencing but, even after writing to MP Jim Dobbin and the police, I've had no response from anyone.
"The damage that's been caused to the school is costing thousands of pounds of taxpayers money, which should be spent on children's education.'
As the site is a listed building, English Heritage are refusing to allow fencing to be put up that will ruin the character of the building and CCTV monitoring has proved no deterrent to the youths, merely recording their indecent activities rather than preventing them.
The new '15,000 play area intended to provide a safe environment for reception-age children was only completed over the Easter break, but was destroyed the weekend before the pupils even got a chance to play on it.
Gwynneth Chesters, Foundation Stage Co-ordinator at the school, said: 'We've waited years for this and now it's ruined. These youths have got absolutely no respect whatsoever. It's devastating.'
Inspector Gary Leversedge of Middleton Police said: 'There has been a history of youth nuisance in that area and there have been calls about youth nuisance before.
'When it happens, we get round there and if there's anybody there we'll take their names and addresses and follow it up.'
Are some teenagers behaving more badly than ever before? Have your say
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being a teenager myself and going out on weekends(drinking) i think that even that is disgusting broadcasting it to people.in away i dont think that this could be stopped as they say they have been trying for 3 years.i think you should try to scare the teenagers or even come up with a place they could go to hang out on weekends instead of going out on the streets putting themselves in danger but the disadvantage is that the teenagers will think its perthetic and only geeks will turn up n will probly most definetly not go.
Can you imagine setting up Youth Centre's for the 'scum' thats terrorising our estates.
If the place doe'snt serve Alcohol or Cigarettes their not interested.
They have no fear of the Police nor anything the Court's impose upon them, to them it just one big joke and their laughing at us.
i think teenagers are getting worse i am myself a teenager i am 18 and see loads of teenages on my street drinking and one house they all go to to hang around the woman has 2 young kids but lets them all in drinking and playing loud music i think teenagers get away with alot these days because they no noone will stop them.
Simple solution, gather all the children responsible and make them clear up the mess and also force them to provide their free time in helping out any custodial duties required in the school grounds. If these kids are made to put effort into this school, then they are less likely to destroy it again. In regard the youth clubs, I agree. They had them when I was a teenager, and I still hung around on the street drinking and smoking.
I bet these youths are really quacking in their trainers when Inspector Gary Leversedge sends out his police officers to take names & addresses. This is a typical response to this kind of crime from the police in Middleton. Only last week I made the mistake of going into Middleton shopping centre to get a prescription from Boots, I've got a car & normally shun this decrepit centre like the plague. The Boots staff told me to come back in 25 minutes to collect it so I went outside to the pedestrian area outside where Tesco is situated to have a look how the new bus station was progressing. Whilst there I witnessed a youth tearing around the pavements in & out of shoppers scaring old people to death on one of those little illegal motorbikes making a terrible noise & with smoke pouring from the exhaust. I thought about phoning the police on my mobile because the youth was clearly under 16 & was driving it illegally around the precinct putting peoples lives in danger then I thought why should I as you can clearly see the police station less than 50 yards away across from the bus station & this motorbike was not only visible to it but the noise it was making was enough to wake the dead but clearly not the police into action. The youth must have known he was acting with immunity & I thought I might even get charged with wasting police time the way things are now going. Suffice to say I won't be going there again.
Charles, I dont think that the police station is that well staffed anyway.
Middelton is a small town partly owned by Rochdale and Manchester Council. I strongly suggest that someone needs to take a bit of ownership of this town before it really goes to the dogs.
Take a look outside Rochdale and Manchester town hall. All very nice hanging baskets etc..now take a walk through Middleton..what an eyesore!
I completely agree Dave. Middleton is a lawless scruffy town with nothing at all to offer in its shops. That's why I went outside to wait because window shopping to while away a few minutes is impossible unless you want the latest Hoody & trainers & even those are not up to date. The proposed Tesco development will make this town even worse. I can now get to Ashton town centre in under 10 minutes with the new motorway so Middleton is the last place decent people need to go if they have transport.
Where will it all end? Teenagers having sex on our schools is just another step towards the total corruption of our society. I don't know how we can stop it, and neither do the police it seems. But shouldn't they at least be trying to stop it? I don't think they are! Little kiddies should NOT have to come to school to find beer cans and condoms strewn willy-nilly around their playground, a supposed safe haven, a "place of fun". Beer cans and condoms are no fun for these kiddies. However, the discovery of these items does hold one glimmer of hope. At least they're USING condoms.
As a retired teacher I am appalled but unsurprised by the behaviour of these young people in Middleton. It must be dreadful for teachers, parents, neighbours and children at Elm Wood School to have to face the mess created by the vandals on their roof.
They must puzzle and wonder at:- Where the police are? Is there a youth service? Why aren't Connexions workers connecting with these disengaged youths? Where the security fence is? Why CCTV isn't being used effectively? Who are the parents of these vandals? ..... and finally, will it take a nasty accident to an innocent child before the authorities combine to rid the school of this filthy pestilence?
Upon reading this story I have been left in a state of shock and awe. Should law-abiding citizens and innocents have to endure used condoms and putrid beer cans thrust into their faces on a day-to-day basis? The world has gone mad. Kids these days need a firm clip round the ear, a round telling-off and an education in RESPECT. As one lady has already commented, you can't even trip off to the local chemists without having loutish youths tearing up your very pathway, no doubt hopped up on whatever drug they fancy, having impregnated some impressionable under-age girl the very second before illegally mounting said motorcycle. I can barely bare to travel to my local Kwik Save for fear of having a rusty trolley thrown at me from the roof or stepping on a used needle. Just this weekend I witnessed a young man walking down the street, brazen as you like, sipping on a can of whatever takes his fancy, stuffing his face with Jacob's crackers and eating a yoghurt without a spoon. Now is this the kind of behaviour we should have to endure in this day and age? Confrontation only leads to an escalating scene of horrific abuse and inevitable violence.
Corporal punishment is the only sane solution. And a Tory leadership. Howard knows how to weild a cane, surely?
My son is no angel at weekend he came home not just drunk paraletic is the best word when questioned the day after very very hungover were the vodka was purchased i dragged him to the shop and told him to show me who served him the shopkeeper denied this my son says he served him and did not ask for ID my son is 15years old this was his first and will be his last time how would the shopkeeper like me to sell his children alchol i had to sit up all night with him choking on his vomit was it worth B#5 no it was not as he now realises. Everyone knows which shop this is and it needs stopping before something very serious happens. My child will be punished but what about the others sleeping at friends etc who dont go home out of it the shopkeeper will keep selling this is why i am prepared to go to the police and yes i will be remaing anon because im not just upsetting the shopkeeper but also the 50 kids or so.
I think it's disgusting, actually, and I'm fifteen years old. I wouldn't take part in any of this and I am disgusted that people actually believe all teenagers are like this.
I'm also disgusted that I can spell and use grammar, punctuation and the caps lock button better than most of the adults commenting here.
its discusting that the youths are left to get away with murder. i have a young child that goes to a school just around the corner from elm wood. and she would be straight out of their if it was anything like that one. and i just fear for them poor children that have to stay their, because if it carries on something dreadfull might happen. this behavour is ten times worse than when i was a teenager. i am 22 now. mr dobbin please do something about it!