I ATTENDED the meeting with county and district councillors and Trading Standards at St Neots skateboard park about the Community Alcohol Partnership. As a town councillor, I wish to state my support for this initiative. An holistic approach is required t

I ATTENDED the meeting with county and district councillors and Trading Standards at St Neots skateboard park about the Community Alcohol Partnership. As a town councillor, I wish to state my support for this initiative.

An holistic approach is required to tackle this problem. It is not a simple issue of catching anti-social social behaviour: we also need to attack the problem by providing alternative ways for young people to spend their time.

Providing facilities in our town that actually appeal to young people is the best way of reducing anti-social behaviour.

It is essential that the joint project group running the project to build a St Neots cinema succeeds as a first step to improving leisure in the town and that the Priory Centre provides a regular venue for bands that appeal to the young.

This is a very worthwhile initiative that should have everyone's support.

Councillor BARRY CHAPMAN, St Neots Town Council, Eaton Ford

* HOW brave of Chris Hughes and so very true (Letters, September 12). He or she has said what hundreds of people are thinking and talking about: the control of yobs and the police.

We live near a playing field in St Neots, and the noise every weekend is horrendous - swearing, girls screaming, drinking, fighting, drug-taking. You name it, it happens there and it goes on until two or three in the morning and the police are nowhere to be seen. They never arrive till they have all gone.

As for racing up the High Street, music bellowing from cars and drinking alcohol along the streets.

It doesn't happen everywhere. We have just returned from Great Yarmouth, where the rules are no alcohol in the streets, no racing cars and bellowing music, If caught, cautioned first time, next time Yarmouth Court next day and fined, and its proved to work in The Yarmouth Mercury, which I have delivered every week.

As for shopping in St Neots, people go to Huntingdon, Bedford and Cambridge, because the shops are rubbish here: too many estate agents, building societies, hairdressers and second hand shops.

Wake up, St Neots, before it becomes a ghost town, which will happen if more shops are not brought here.

Mrs SANDRA HOPPER, St Neots