THREE teenagers have been fined for skateboarding outside Urbis - even though exhibitions inside the iconic building celebrate using city streets as urban playgrounds.

Current exhibitions feature video clips of skateboarders talking about joy of using public spaces and how authorities that ban it are actually trying to control "disorder itself".

The Urbis cinema is also running documentaries about street sports, including "freerunning" and BMXing. They include footage of a biker riding over street furniture outside The Lowry Hotel.

Jarryd Bethume and Andrew Hall, 19, were fined £100 and ordered to pay £100 costs each, while Afzal Khan, 19, was fined £150 with £191 costs for breaching the city centre bylaw that prohibits skateboarding around Urbis and Cathedral Gardens.

Cllr Paul Murphy, executive member for city council direct services, said: "Manchester Council welcomes the exhibition at Urbis which reflects a broad picture of contemporary urban life in cities around the world, including Manchester.

"We have nothing against skateboarding in general, in fact there are now eight skate parks around the city.

"The exhibition concerned has no bearing on the bylaw of the city, which seeks to protect the public from being injured by skateboarding in unsuitable areas. We will continue to prosecute those who flout the law."

Cllr Murphy said the council gets regular complaints and knows of cases where people have been hit.

Despite the rules, Cathedral Gardens and Urbis attracts large crowds of teenage skaters attracted by wide-open spaces, steps and ledges. A further 100 people have already been warned and face prosecution if caught again.

A spokesperson for Urbis said: "Street sports, where the urban and built environment is used as a playground for such activities as freerunning, skateboarding and BMXing has become an extremely popular trend among young people in recent years. As such, our role is to inform our customers about it, rather than take a stance or present a particular viewpoint."

Afzal and Jarryd will continue skateboarding in the streets. Afzal, of Craston Road, Longsight, said: "We are not interested in being locked in skate parks with a few ramps behind railings. We want steps and gaps just like they have at Urbis."

Jarryd, of Ashdale Drive, Withington, said: "We have never had any problems from anyone before now and we aren't there to cause trouble.

"We just want to skate."

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