A VOLUNTARY curfew should be extended to Clacton, according to a parish council.

Letters were sent out to the parents of 1,250 pupils who attend Brightling-sea’s Colne Community College in October, asking them to comply with a voluntary curfew to help cut antisocial behaviour.

Ten to 12-year-olds were asked to be home by 7.30pm on weekdays and youngsters aged up to 16 could stay out until 10.30pm at weekends, for example.

Even though there is no punishment for ignoring the curfew, police believe it has had an effect.

PC Danny Harris, who introduced the initiative, said: “Nuisance youths is a community problem, a parental problem, but it always gets pushed to the police.

“The voluntary curfew letter to parents says their children’s behaviour can upset the elderly and suggests their children should be home by a reasonable time.

“We have had less complaints about antisocial behaviour.

“It might be a fluke but parents have said they can point to the letter when they are talking to their children.

“I have had some comments like ‘haven’t you got anything better to do?’ and ‘why don’t you leave the children alone?’.

“We will monitor it over the next few months.”

St Osyth Parish Council said many of the youngsters in the parish go to schools in Clacton so would not have received one of the letters.

Members thought it was a good idea and suggested the police expand it.

John White said: “Should we be looking to do a similar thing in Bishops Park College?”

PC Harris said he hoped other officers would pick up on the idea, which he adopted after learning of a successful pilot in Cornwall in the summer.

“For me, it’s an easy issue to solve,” he said.

“If parents take responsibility over the children, we will get somewhere.”