THE owners of a Melksham newsagents have banned teenage troublemakers from the shop because they are upsetting customers.

Damian and Teresa Merchant, who run Castles Newsagents in Market Place, have put a sign up telling boys from George Ward School their foul and abusive language will no longer be tolerated.

Girls are still welcome but raucous boys, aged between 12 and 14, have been warned to stay away.

Mrs Merchant, 30, who bore the brunt of their loutish behaviour, said: "They are being very mouthy and abusive to staff. They come in on their way home from school and cause a lot of aggravation.

"The kids are upsetting customers and I have to keep telling them to stop hanging around the shop."

Mr and Mrs Merchant took over the newsagents on November 10 and say the children's behaviour has tarnished the start of their first business venture.

But they are determined not to let the youngsters get the better of them, and have contacted the school and the police for help.

Mrs Merchant said: "I've just had enough it's affecting the reputation of our business.

"The school hasn't done anything about it. I used to be a pupil there but never acted like this."

George Ward headteacher Dr Pam Stoate said this was not just an issue for the school but also a parental and a community problem.

She said: "It is clearly very frustrating when pupils in school uniform let us down but it is very difficult when it happens when children are on their way to and from school, because we do not have the same control as when they are in school."

Acting Inspector Sarah Bodell, of Melksham Police, said officers would contact both the school and the newsagent to investigate the complaint.

"If customers are being abused in a public place it is an offence and can be reported. Identifying the individuals involved could be a problem, but CCTV cameras cover that area so if we get the times when it happened then we may be able to identify them," she said.

Act Insp Bodell has asked the school to tell pupils that the matter has been reported and plans to increase police presence in the area.