BORED Neston youngsters have seized the initiative and launched a campaign for a skateboard ramp in the village.

And the six boys, aged between seven and 13, have the village right behind them.

They collected 316 signatures in support of their plans and presented the petition to Corsham Town Council last week.

"We didn't have one single negative comment from any of the householders in the village," said John Walker, 12.

It took the friends about a week to knock on every door in the village to find out what residents thought of the plan.

The boys researched the types of ramp available on the Internet so they could present a comprehensive package of information to the town council.

John, along with his brother James, 13, Jamie Davis, 13, Jake Lock, nine, Tom Redman, seven, and Daniel Speed, ten, handed over the petition.

They want to set up a half pipe in Neston recreation ground.

They organised a public meeting, held in Neston school hall on July 18, because many young people in the village had nothing to do.

The meeting was attended by 13 young people, as well as community youth worker Martin Walker, Stuart Little, the chair of the village hall committee, and Linda Davies, head at the village school.

Many ideas were considered, including safer travelling routes between Gastard and Neston, meeting places and a youth club.

Young skaters wanted a safe area to follow their sport that would not trouble local residents, and began their campaign for a smooth asphalt area with a small ramp.

The proposal is that the village will provide the skateboard ramp, via youth worker Mr Walker, and the excavation and levelling of the asphalt area.

The residents would also put up the ramp and provide a rubbish bin.

The ramp would be set up at the top end of the Memorial Grounds, adjacent to the existing play facilities, where it would be as far away as possible from housing.

The group has asked the town council to agree to the siting of the asphalt area and ramp, and to apply for planning permission if it is needed, to check out insurance and to take on the maintenance of the facility.

Members of the town council's leisure committee agreed to the requests at a meeting on Wednesday.

However skate parks have become a contentious subject in nearby Chippenham. The town's newly relocated skatepark is still proving a headache for North Wiltshire District Council.

Members of the its scrutiny committee considered the problems caused by the park at a meeting on Thursday.

Coun Margaret Roussell said the thousands of pounds spent on relocating the skatepark could have paid for other skateparks in towns and villages around the district.

After the meeting, she said a hundred children in Box had petitioned for a skatepark, and others were requested in Cricklade and Neston.

"I am afraid it will be hard to find the money for all these," she said.

"The district council has wasted massive amounts of money on the Chippenham skatepark."

The Chippenham skatepark was relocated when the new district council offices were built.

The new equipment cost £45,000 and an additional £12,000 was spent on noise consultants, £3,500 on security, and £17,000 on further remedial work after nearby residents complained about noise and anti-social behaviour.

Now the district council is looking for another new site.

New equipment for the site is likely to cost an extra £40,000 as only some of the current equipment can be moved and re-used.