YOUNGSTERS who have been left without skateboarding facilities in their towns will be able to brush up on their boarding skills after all in the Easter holidays.

Special mobile units are to visit Calne and Devizes next week, while churches in Chippenham have borrowed ramps so that youngsters will be able to enjoy their sport.

In the last few years, skateparks across Wiltshire have been closed or have had their opening delayed because of fears of noise and anti-social behaviour.

Skateparks in Chippenham and Devizes were closed in 2002 following complaints from residents about noise, and negotiations about replacing both are still going on.

Other councils across Wiltshire have had difficulty in finding suitable sites which are secure and in a central location but do not cause a nuisance to residents.

Now Kennet and North Wiltshire district councils have joined with the county council, town councils and Community First to arrange for the mobile units to pay trial visits to Devizes and Calne during the Easter holidays.

North Wiltshire district councillor Carol O'Gorman, lead member for youth, hopes that if the trial is successful then funding might be found for the mobile units to visit other towns in the district, including Corsham, Cricklade and Wootton Bassett.

She said she was aware that there is a need for permanent skate parks but believes this may be the interim solution. "We have to do something for the youth. The situation at the moment is ridiculous," she said.

Four churches in Chippenham have also recognised the problem and have pooled together to provide skate boarding facilities in the town from next Monday to Thursday.

The GOD 4 U group will be providing a launch, a quarter pipe, a spine and a grind box in St Paul's Church car park in Greenway Lane from 10.30am to 3.30pm each day.

Team member Karin Needham said: "The youngsters in Chippenham have been without a skateboard park for a long time now and, although plans for a permanent skate park are progressing, we thought it would be great to offer this leisure opportunity the young people over the Easter holidays."

The skatepark will be fully supervised but for insurance purposes, all under 18s will need signed parental consent. Consent forms can be obtained from Ottakers bookshop and the Information Centre in Chippenham or downloaded at www.god4u.org.uk

A competition will be held on Thursday for those who take part during the week. Sessions, which are free of charge, will operate according to age groups and type of activity.

Mrs Needham said: "We have had tremendous support from local councillors in putting this event together. We have spent a great deal of time trying to find the right equipment and finding transport to get it here. Eventually we were put in touch with Malmesbury Youth Centre which are kindly lending us their new ramps."

The mobile skatepark will be in Devizes Leisure Centre car park on April 11 from 10am to 4pm.

It will be at two town centre venues in Calne, locations to be confirmed in the next week. The unit will be open for use between 6pm and 9pm on Good Friday and from 11am to 7pm on April 10.