A BUSINESS leader has called for a larger police presence in Barrow town centre in an effort to stamp out anti-social behaviour.

Colin Garnett, manager of Barrow’s Business Improvement District, said he believed more officers patrolling the high street would reduce the amount of complaints about youths acting anti-socially.

The call comes after Barrow Police appealed for Barrovians to give their views on whether they think the town centre has an issue with badly behaving young people and ideas on how to fix it.

A police spokesman said: “We want your views.

“Is there an issue with youth anti-social behaviour in the town centre?

“Has it reduced or increased?

“If it is an issue what are the reasons?

“How can we all tackle it?”

Residents gave various responses to how serious the issue is and how to fix it.

Jenny Fones said on Facebook: “There’s a huge problem, just go to McDonald’s at teatime.

“The place is full of rude youths that push and shove people around, they want the free wifi and to charge up phones, not caring if it’s intrusive to paying customers.

“They are abusive to staff and rudely dismissive of customers, swearing.

“They think they are untouchable.”

Bethany Armstrong said: “There’s not a whole lot of point having CCTV down Dalton Road.

“I got threatened yesterday and reported it, just to be told the camera covering that area was facing the other way at the time.

“No CCTV means they get away with threatening to beat me up.”

Mr Garnett said: “I think more police in the town centre as well as better CCTV are both ways to possibly solve this issue.

“We also need to look at attractive things for young people to do to stop them wanting to act in this way.

“The BID is trying to work alongside Barrow Police to deal with this.”

A spokesman for Barrow Police said: “The town centre has some big issues. More police on the street is perhaps part of the answer.”