Poor attendance rates have forced South Woodham's Starz Youth Centre to shut its doors for the rest of the school holidays.

Cllr Jim Barnett said it wasn't worth staff opening up because few youngsters had been turning up on the town council run nights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

"I had to make the decision last week. The week before last we had our staff there, but no children all week. It would seem that 99 per cent of them are on holiday and the rest are over at the park in the evenings, which is fine," said Cllr Barnett.

The Essex Chronicle recently told how the town council wants to re-launch the club to try and put a recent history of troublemakers and vandals firmly behind it.

Essex Youth Service, which operates the club on Mondays and Thursdays, has not opened during the six week break.

The club, based at the William de Ferrers Centre, reopens on September 7.

Published Tuesday August 24, 2004

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