Calls for more to be done in Teesside to stop youths "transporting" trouble using trains
A Marske Councillor says there's an increase in anti-social behaviour
There are calls for more to be done to stop young people across Teesside from using trains to "transport" anti-social behaviour to the coast.
Redcar and Cleveland Councillor for Marske Dr Tristan Learoyd said an understaffed rail network was allowing youngsters to dodge fares on rail services across the region.
Tristan also said he had accounts shared with him of train conductors being sworn at, spat at and in some instances assaulted.
He said gangs of youths were “descending” on Marske on Friday and Saturday evening and also the likes of Saltburn and Redcar and bringing anti-social behaviour with them, and described how he had been in communication with Northern Rail over the issue.
Tristan said: "I'm a parent myself and you're in a situation where you don't want to let your kids out anymore. We've noticed a pattern in the last year or so where the railway line between Darlington and Saltburn is being used by people under 25, avoiding fares, causing problems on the trains and then causing problems where they get off.
"They've been using the train lines, some of these youngsters, not all of them, some of them may come from Marske, using the ticket that you can get from the machines which says you'll pay later, but you're under no obligation to pay later, coming here to Marske and then causing problems associated with, in the most severe instances, drugs and knives.
"We've noticed large gangs congregating, causing problems with neighbours, fighting between themselves, beating up young people who live here in Marske, and in some instances stealing their property such as bicycles. Some of those coming down as well don't just come by train, but they come on motorbikes and so on. It's really causing a nuisance and this has gone for a long period here in Marske, over a year.
"What we are seeing is the railway line being used as a way to transport antisocial behaviour to different areas along the line, so whether it's Redcar and we had problems on Redcar seafront this weekend, whether it's Marske where we've had problems over the past year, or whether it's Saltburn who've been having problems with this recently.
"I asked a couple of people I know who work for Northern Rail and the railways to see if they'd have problems on their services, and what I heard back anecdotally was that the people who work on these services have been threatened themselves and find it very difficult to deal with these fare avoiders. They've been spat at and they've been threatened.
"We need better manning of the trains to be able to cope with fare avoidance and then also for British Transport Police to step up. And at the same time, Cleveland Police have been fantastic in terms of they've been down here in Marske, we've had dispersal orders, they've really have clamped down with the Matrix teams and so on, we're very thankful for that.
"It's not always that the parents are 100% responsible for the behaviour of their children. It's just the sad circumstance that more people are having to work longer and longer hours and it becomes harder and harder to keep an eye on your kids. And then of course then kids can become disenfranchised and cause issues and that's what appears to be happening more."
Tristan added that police had also sought to stop youngsters congregating in Valley Gardens – which is on a route to the beach – while suggesting some of those involved in anti-social behaviour had travelled from elsewhere.
Last week the half-term school holiday combined with soaring temperatures saw thousands of people head to the Cleveland coast with fighting and anti-social behaviour also being reported on or near to Majuba Beach, in Coatham, Redcar.
This prompted Cleveland Police to apply a two day dispersal order in the area to stop large groups of teenagers congregating, while also deploying drones to track troublemakers.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service contacted Northern, fellow train operator TransPennine Express and the British Transport Police for comment in relation to Cllr Learoyd’s concerns.
In a response received by Tristan, Alex Jarvis, a regional stakeholder manager with Northern, said train crews were encouraged to report any incidents.
He said: “Their safety and the safety of our customers is of the utmost importance.”
Alex added: “We have acted on the information you have shared with us and have increased our travel safe officer patrols at stations and on the line at the times you have indicated are of the most concern in your correspondence.
“We are also working with Cleveland Police and British Transport Police to monitor the situation closely.”
Councillor Carl Quartermain, who is the cabinet member for highways and transport on Redcar and Cleveland Council and also represents the Coatham ward, said its community safety team was working with partners to address anti-social behaviour regardless of where offenders were travelling from.
He said: “The Tees Valley Combined Authority is also establishing a new transport safety and security partnership bringing together police, transport operators and local authorities in order to strengthen joint working around these types of issues.”