12941/1GAZETTE & HERALD: TEN parents received formal letters from Calne police this week after their children were seen on the roof of a two-storey building.

A group of 20 young people, aged between 11 and 16, were spotted climbing on the derelict Signum Circuit building in Station Road.

The letters are a brand new initiative launched by the police as a bid to curb anti-social behaviour in the town.

Sgt Peter Chamberlain said the operation which has only been running for two weeks has been successful.

"This is a major change to the way we have been policing at Calne. The first letter is a formal warning and can be followed up with a final warning," he said.

"It shows that as police we are not accepting anti-social behaviour and it's a new initiative to succeed."

Youths have been causing problems in the town this month, with a forklift truck being stolen from Porte Marsh industrial estate last Wednesday.

The truck was stolen by three youths from Pye-Bibby, the animal feed plant, just before 9pm.

One youth drove the vehicle while two others ran alongside it.

An employee of the plant recognised the forklift truck as it was driven down the road towards William Street and called the police.

Damage was also caused to machinery in the factory.

Sgt Chamberlain now fears with the longer days and lighter evenings, more groups of young people will be hanging around in the town.

"The trouble is caused by groups of youths in different parts of Calne, but predominantly in William Street," he said.

He has set up a meeting with the fire brigade at the end of April to see if anything can be done to make the Signum Circuit site more secure.

He said: "The problems there have occurred mainly at weekends, but now the lighter nights are here I expect youngsters to gather there more often.

"It's deemed not safe for police officers to actually patrol the area because it is a closed site. That is why it is covered by security guards who have had the necessary training."

District and town councillor Simon Coy was one of the people who saw youths on the roof last weekend.

He has been campaigning for more than a year for tighter security at the site.

He said: "It's got lots of equipment and big vats and to get up on to the roof they would have had to climb on these.

"It's absolutely notorious as a place where youths get in.

"But it is very dangerous and because the police don't go up there they seem to think they can hang around in large groups.

"I've been trying for about a year to get the police up there.

"I was very pleased to hear they caught about 20 of them."

He said equipment from the building has been dragged into the field next to it and the fence has been broken down.

The offenders' parents will firstly receive a formal warning letter about their unacceptable behaviour

If youngsters persist parents will receive a final warning letter before a home visit is made by Sgt Chamberlain when an Acceptable Behaviour Contract will have to be signed, which lasts six months.

If no improvement takes place in the behaviour of the individual the the police can go to court to give evidence on what steps they have already taken.