Furious residents at White Lion Park in Malmesbury have clashed with town councillors over the siting of a proposed skate park.

Malmesbury Town Council has proposed using the field at White Lion Park as the location for the skate park.

But over 80 per cent of the Park's residents are opposed to the town council's proposal because they fear it will attract drug takers and anti-social behaviour.

Resident Debbie Aylward said: "We are worried that this skate park will attract the wrong kind of people."

North Wiltshire district councillors recently agreed to pledge over £14,000 towards building a skate park in Malmesbury.

The cash boost marked a victorious end to a nine-year campaign by the Malmesbury Skaters and Riders Action Group who had campaigned to have a park built in the town.

White Lion Park was suggested as the best location because it is leased to the town council until 2038 and is accessible to the majority of skaters.

However, town councillors came face to face with protestors at an angry meeting of the policy and resources committee last Thursday night.

Also present in the council chamber were teenagers in favour of the skate park.

The meeting was held to decide if the town council had the funds available to build the park, but in a noisy question and answer session, councillors heard 81 per cent of people living in White Lion Park were opposed to it.

Their major concern was that the area could become rife with drug users.

Ken Wardlow, from White Lion Park said: "There is an underlying drug problem in this area and we are afraid it might get worse with a skate park. This is the general view of many residents. We are also concerned that toddlers could find needles in the area."

Mr Wardlow suggested that a playing field near Malmesbury School might make a better venue for the skate park.

Debbie Aylward from White Lion Park summed up many of her neighbours' worries.

Ms Aylward said: "Some of the residents who live by the alleyways leading to the skatepark are also worried that there could be under-age drinking.

"At the moment White Lion Park is geared for little children but we are concerned they may want to use the concrete ramps on the skateboard park.

"There is also the problem that the entrance into the skate park would be located on a dangerous bend.

"A lot of little children use White Lion Park so, if anything, it would be better for the town council to use the money to improve the facilities already there. The councillors have got to respect our wishes because right now they are not listening to us."

Ms Aylward added that she wanted to work with the teenagers in the town in finding a suitable venue for the recreation facility.

And she said a working group of residents would be formed to propose alternative sites.

Afterwards, Mike Sivell, from White Lion Park stressed that householders were not opposed to young people having a skate park.

He said: "The kids need this facility. None of us are against that. But White Lion Park is just not the place for it."

District councillor John Thomson, who has been one of the leading supporters for a skate park in Malmesbury, also attended the meeting.

Coun Thomson said: "You have a golden opportunity to do something for the 1,350 young people living in this area. I do not think the youth of Malmesbury are a dangerous species."

The meeting ended with town councillors agreeing to provide £4,500 this year for the funding of the skate park.

It was stressed the park will not be paid for by increasing the council tax, but instead, come from the town council's capital reserve.