The 21 May edition of the Derby Evening Telegraph featured an article about teenagers in Sinfin and accused them of terrorising the neighbourhood. In response, PC Loretta Ramwell and representatives from Derby Homes met some of the young people involved to give them a chance to have their say. Here's their side of the story:
Q. Is it true that you hang around the shop in Cromarty Close?
A. Yeah, we do but we're not doing anything wrong. We go to the shop to hang out with our friends, thats all. Sometimes there are about ten people outside the shop but we all live around here. We need a place to meet.
Q. What did you think to the article in the paper?
A. It said we spit at people and intimidate them - and thats not true. We have more respect than that. We know most of the people who go into the shop and they know us.
Q. Isnt there anywhere else you could meet your friends?
A. Not really. There's a youth club once a week, but we never do much when we go there. We need more activities.
Q. What sort of activities?
A. We'd like to do football or fitness training and a gym would be good. [The girls wanted to learn hair and beauty skills]. There needs to be things for us to do, instead of just sitting around.
Q. Is there anything else you'd like?
A. A BMX track. The nearest one is Alvaston and thats too far from us. If we had our own BMX track theres no way we would be hanging around the shop. The fence on the playing court needs to be raised too, its too low at the moment and the balls always going onto the busy main road.
Well thats their side of things, but what about your views and opinions. Do you find yourselves in a similar situation as those in Sinfin. We want to know what you think.