Stones thrown at Leeds bus as antisocial behaviour leaves people 'frightened to leave their homes'

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Calls have been made for a “clampdown” on antisocial behaviour in Leeds after an incident in which stones were thrown at a Leeds bus.

A council committee was told that vandals have hurled missiles at the number 15 bus, which runs from Farnley to Logic Business Park in east Leeds, via the city. The service is run by First, which has been asked to comment on the claims.

Conservative Coun Amanda Carter said the incidents were a symptom of a wider problem with youth crime in west Leeds, which she claimed has “gone beyond a joke” and is intimidating residents. Teens from affluent areas as well as deprived ones are responsible for the troubles, a meeting of the council’s outer west community committee heard.

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Speaking during a debate about CCTV, Coun David Blackburn, who represents the Farnley and Wortley area for the Green Party, told the committee: “We’ve had some problems recently with the number 15, with people chucking stones at it on an evening.”

The bus was the target of missiles, according to a councillor.The bus was the target of missiles, according to a councillor.
The bus was the target of missiles, according to a councillor.

The committee chair, Coun Carter, who represents Calverley and Farsley, said she and others were “really unhappy with the amount of anti-social behaviour in our wards.”

She said: “We are taking the police to task about this. It’s not good enough. Especially with the summer holidays coming up, we must make sure that kids are distracted. If they’re not distracted, there must be a clampdown because they can’t be allowed to throw stones at buses. It’s beyond a joke and people are so frightened they’re not able to leave their homes sometimes.”

Coun Carter later said there were “two groups” of youths responsible for causing trouble, one of which she said came from “affluent homes”. She added: “They’re just bored and they think it’s fine to go and smoke cannabis and annoy neighbours and that kind of thing.

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“There’s another group of kids who are from another part of our ward who are under-privileged. These are kids that I really worry about, because some of them won’t be in education. If they’re not in education then they can be lost. This is where youth services comes in. We’ve got to try to reach those kids first.”

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