THE blight of anti-social behaviour in Blaenau Gwent is rising to “pandemic levels” according to a senior councillor.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s ruling Labour Cabinet on Wednesday, September 5, anti-social behaviour in county borough towns was brought up for discussion.

This took place as councillors discussed a historic report that looked at the council’s performance for safeguarding from September last year to the end of this March.

Sections in the report explained that the number of children accessing Youth offending Services had increased on the previous year.

The report also said that membership of the council’s Community Safety Team includes Gwent Police, Social Services, Youth Offending Service, Senior Education Welfare, Youth Services, and Registered Social Landlords who are working together to tackle anti-social behaviour by providing “multi-agency tailored support.”

Social Services cabinet member Cllr Haydn Trollope said that he was on the phone “constantly” with people complaining about the problems.

Cllr Trollope “Anti-social behaviour is a blight on all towns in the valleys including Tredegar where I live.

“We are blighted mainly by behaviour from (people riding) off road motorbikes, younger children on electric scooter, because of the police stance.

“Perhaps rightly so for health and safety reasons, if these people haven’t got helmets, they (police) don’t chase to stop them.

“It’s going out of control, I don’t believe that anti-social behaviour in our town is going down, its rising and getting to pandemic levels.”

He asked if a police officer could be asked to attend a future Cabinet meeting.

Cabinet member for Regeneration and Economic Development Cllr John Morgan said that the relationship between schools and the police had been discussed in the past due to incidents of anti-social behaviour on weekends “spilling over” into school the following Monday.

“My understanding is that the relationship has improved dramatically,” said Cllr Morgan.

Joint Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen council chief executive, Steve Vickers said: “In Torfaen they currently have Superintendent Mike Richards who attends every second council meeting and is willing to cover some of the issues going on across the area from a police perspective.”

Supt Richards of Gwen Police is the senior officer for Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, and Torfaen

Mr Vickers explained that Supt Richards holds a question and answer session giving Torfaen councillors the opportunity to air their “concerns” with him.

Mr Vickers said: “I can make those arrangements if cabinet or indeed the wider council ae of a mind to have that approach.

“He would be more than happy and would see it as a positive step.”

Council leader, Cllr Steve Thomas said: “We will try and put that in place be it cabinet or (full) council and see what will work best.”

Cabinet then approved the report.