A villager has requested a club for Thorpe youngsters be opened more often to try to curb vandalism.

The club, based in Landermere Road, is open two nights a week but Les Ellis believes it should be opened for five nights.

He raised the matter at Thorpe Parish Council's annual meeting on Monday

Mr Ellis, who used to be deputy warden at the Essex County Council-run Youth Service, said he believed it would be beneficial to Thorpe if it was open as much as it was in the past.

He said: "It's no wonder we have vandalism in the village. As far as I'm concerned, it's a problem. You see young people congregating all over the place."

After investigating what could be done to extend the opening hours, he said Thorpe Council needed to write to Essex County Council and Youth Services in Colchester to raise the idea.

Chairman Brian Healey said it was believed the reason why the number of nights had been reduced was due to funding issues and a shortage of volunteers.

The council agreed to contact both Essex County Council and Youth Services

Published Tuesday, April 15, 2003

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