CHILDREN from across the city are travelling to Dines Green to cause trouble and get into fights, according to a concerned charity chief.

Worcester Community Trust has suspended its youth club at the Green Hub, in Gresham Road, Dines Green, due to safety fears after an increasing number of problems.

Staff say children were seen throwing stones at the centre on Monday night and a window was later found smashed.

And the decision to suspend the youth sessions was taken after children let off a fire extinguisher at the hub – and ran off with another one – on Wednesday, March 8.

Cllr Richard Udall, who represents the area on the city and county councils, says there is a "significant" and growing problem – but believes a lack of youth facilities is partly to blame and is calling for more investment.

Worcester Community Trust says the double-glazed window, which is now boarded up, will cost £500 to repair – and that it wants police community support officers (CSOs) stationed at the centre door before it considers re-starting the youth sessions.

Helen Scarrett, the head of Worcester Community Trust, says young people appear to be travelling from across Worcester to Dines Green looking for trouble.

She also says parents are also gathering in the area, looking for children who have had problems with their offspring.

“There seem to be some real issues in Dines Green recently," she said.

“Over the last month to six weeks Dines Green has become increasingly problematic for us, with lots of problems outside the centre.

“It’s gone beyond what we can manage. We run the youth sessions at the centre but have had to close them temporarily for the safety of young people and staff.”

The trust usually holds two weekly sessions at the centre, with Monday’s the first to be cancelled and last night's also called off.

Staff are now running outreach programmes instead of holding sessions at the centre.

“We don’t abandon young people,” Ms Scarrett said. “I think we have only closed the sessions one other time in three years across six centres.

“There’s a financial cost and there’s a lack of respect. We have got Brownies and dance sessions. The mums of the Brownies are getting tonnes of abuse from people outside.”

Cllr Udall said: "There's a significant problem which is re-emerging on the estate.

"I have had reports of a number issues. Users of the Green centre have been intimidated, going in and out of the building.

"People have been trying to disrupt meetings and some have recently vandalised.

"I think the issues are caused by a lack of youth activities on the estate. Idle hands are all the devil needs for for these problems to happen."

Cllr Udall says the solution lies in major investment and that he is looking at ways of acquiring football and rugby facilities for the area.

"To temporarily close the sessions is the wrong reaction. It's just going to create animosity and make the situation worse," he added.

Anyone with information about the smashed window should call 101 quoting incident number 0106s.