A YOUTH worker is urging people not to blame youngsters for the vandalism in Bere Alston on October 31 as there is no significant evidence they were involved.

Jen Potts, who works in the village, said the young people were getting a hard time and it was a shame as many positive things had been happening in Bere Alston recently with young people.

'I would like to remind people in the village that the crime rate has gone down by 22% and there is no significant evidence that kids were involved in the vandalism, despite many things that are being rumoured,' she said.

'I am not saying that they are all angels but it is quite unfair to pin the blame on them.'

Jen Potts said a lot of youth work had been done in Bere Alston and there was a big effort being made to try and build positive relationships between the young and the rest of the village:'It has improved already and over the past year there have been more activities for the children to do. The young people are making more positive choices now.'