OKEHAMPTON Town Council has set up a working group to combat anti-social behaviour in Simmons Park.

The council has received reports of increased levels of anti-social behaviour, often during the night. Parks committee chair Cllr Christine Marsh has convened a project group to look at what equipment would be required to help combat such behaviour and to review proposed locations that would provide the best protection of people and property, with a view to implementing installation of such equipment in 2016.

At their committee meeting on December 14, councillors also discussed litter and dog fouling on Okehampton’s streets. Councillors discussed the efficacy of bin emptying schedules and whether it contributes to the litter problem.

The recent Keep Okehampton Tidy litter pick showed that the highest volume of litter is found around the supermarket car parks and the town’s taxi rank on Market Street.

Councillors generally agreed that there were sufficient dog bins in Simmons Park and in other places around the town, though there have been problems with the regular emptying of the bins, which has led to the pile-up of dog waste bags around the bins.