A LATE night service by the Wigglybus is being stopped because of drunk and rowdy teenagers, including some as young as 13.

The Wigglybus organisers have agreed to a request from police in Pewsey to withdraw the 11pm service.

Police said the late night bus was attracting youngsters from a wide area into Pewsey where they have been causing problems.

There have been repeated incidents of vandalism at the bowls club that officers said they believed were caused by young people from outside the village.

Sgt John Coppen, the police commander at Pewsey, said complaints had been received from the Wigglybus drivers about teenagers being rowdy and on occasions being sick on the bus.

Sgt Coppen said: "The main problems have been on Friday and Saturday nights and are largely due to under age drinking. Most of the kids who cause trouble in Pewsey do not come from the village. They are coming here on the Wigglybus from other villages."

The popular Shak youth club closes by 10pm and Sgt Coppen said he would be happy if the last bus went at 10pm.

He said: "The problem at the moment is that the kids hang about for an hour before the 11pm bus with some of them getting drunk and causing minor bother."

Wigglybus manager Tim Reynolds said they were happy to discontinue the 11pm run because of problems caused by the young passengers.

He said: "Last Friday there was a horde of 28 boys and girls aged 13 to 17 and most of them very drunk.

"They were all trying to get on the bus which has only 13 seats. They were banging on the sides of the bus and there was some fighting on the bus."

Mr Reynolds said the woman driver used her mobile telephone to call out another bus so that all the youngsters were taken to their homes in the villages around Pewsey.

Problems involving drunken young people had been growing recently, he said. "One driver three weeks ago was verbally abused by a group of three teenagers. They were very lucky that he still drove them home," he added.

Pewsey Parish Council chairman Colin Lampard said the council fully supported Sgt Coppen's actions to halt the late night bus.

He said there was concern among councillors that vandalism and anti-social behaviour was being caused by teenagers from other villages using the Wigglybus to get to Pewsey.