Anti-Social Behaviour, Leigh Town Centre.

Dear Resident,

Youth-Related Anti-Social Behaviour in Leigh Town Centre

Youth-related anti-social behaviour continues to impact Leigh Town Centre.

Despite repeated social media posts warning that groups of young people—both male and female—are engaging in large-scale anti-social behaviour in and around the town centre, significant numbers of youths are still gathering in the area and causing distress to members of the public who are simply visiting to shop or meet friends.

The Neighbourhood Policing Team is regularly patrolling the town centre and actively using the current Public Spaces Protection Order to issue 24-hour Directions to Leave to offenders. Any young person who refuses to provide their details when asked by officers may be arrested. Parents will then be contacted and required to collect their child from whichever Greater Manchester custody suite they are taken to.

In addition, letters will be sent home to the parents of all young people dealt with for anti-social behaviour. After three letters, parents will be required to attend the police station for a meeting to discuss an Acceptable Behaviour Agreement.

Details of all individuals involved will also be shared with Wigan Council, where Tenancy Enforcement Action may be taken when appropriate.

Once again, we urge parents and guardians to check where their children are going in the evenings and to speak with them about the consequences of this behaviour.

If you are in the town centre and witness anti-social behaviour—and you recognise any of the young people involved—you can provide names privately by replying to this post. Alternatively, you can report information anonymously via CrimeStoppers.

Please feel free to share this message with friends and family or repost it on your preferred social media platforms.

Whether or not you visit the town centre regularly, this is still your community. Let’s work together to tackle this behaviour.