SECURITY guards are being employed and paid for by the public to lock a Felixstowe park at night – to keep out teenage drinking gangs.Police and councillors were inundated with complaints about the activities in Allenby Park, with residents being disturbed late at night and in the early hours.

By Richard Cornwell

SECURITY guards are being employed and paid for by the public to lock a Felixstowe park at night – to keep out teenage drinking gangs.

Police and councillors were inundated with complaints about the activities in Allenby Park, with residents being disturbed late at night and in the early hours.

Youngsters were said to be drinking, swearing and threatening people who asked them to be quiet.

Town councillor Andy Smith said the park – which is surrounded by gardens of homes in Constable Road, St Andrews Road, Croutel Road and Brook Lane – was now being locked at 8pm each day to stop the problems.

"Suffolk Coastal council has had to employ a security firm to go and lock the park at night because of these youngsters' misbehaviour," said Mr Smith.

"We had noise, drinking, swearing, and one man was seriously threatened by two 17 year old boys. It was very, very unpleasant.

"People on all sides of the park were complaining and action needed to be taken to deal with the matter so that people could enjoy evenings in their homes in peace, as they should be entitled to do."

One resident of Constable Road said: "I went out to remonstrate with them a couple of times but they took no notice at all. You would just be getting off to sleep and there would be screaming and swearing, and crashing and you thought your garden fence was being smashed down. It was very unnerving."

Felixstowe police commander Insp Andy Bushell said the locking of the gates had cured the problem but he expected the youths had just moved on somewhere else.

"It is a park and youngsters making noise is normally not a problem, but not at midnight and 1am," he said.

"We worked with the Neighbourhood Watch and the council and looked at ways to improve security and felt locking the gates was the best answer."