VANDALS who make their escape down back alleys could have their getaway blocked if a determined councillor wins support.

Scotforths Cllr Sheila Denwood is pushing for alley gating to clamp down on troublemakers congregating in certain areas and then fleeing from police down ginnels.

She particularly wants gates put at either end of the walkway next to Princess Avenue after a local residents wrought iron fence was twice ripped from the garden wall.

Cllr Denwood told the Citizen that a very distressed Edith Creed, of Princess Avenue, had complained to her about the deliberate damage to her property.

The fence was first dragged down last year - and Mrs Creed had to face the ordeal of clearing up the mess and re-installing the fence recently after it was targeted again.

"They must have gone to some effort to pull it off," says Cllr Denwood.

"On other occasions her downspouts have been ruined, and she has had to have them boxed in." She says other people have also expressed concern about drunken and unruly groups gathering on Princess Avenue.

"The police do the best with the resources they have, especially now as new community sup-port officers have improved things a lot.

"But when I call the police, the culprits bolt down this ginnel and disappear out of sight.

"What we need here is some alley gating at either end to stop the culprits running away."

Earlier this year a pilot scheme was launched with gates installed across the ends of unadopted back alleys in Morecambe's West End and Poulton areas.

The scheme aims to cut crime and rubbish dumping and target other examples of anti-social behaviour.

But the Lancashire County environment director has advised that adopted back streets can only be alley-gated if they cease to be public highways. Then the responsibility for maintaining the back street reverts to owners of frontage properties.