DISTRESSED residents in Okehampton say a large group of drunken youngsters who gathered in the town centre last Thursday left the streets strewn with litter and the air filled with shouted obscenities. Cllr Charles Letchford told members he witnessed one group of girls marching arm in arm up and down the pavement yelling, ?We want more alcohol?. The youngsters appear to have gathered to watch the final heat of the town?s Battle of the Bands competition. Organisers said they had not been aware of the problem on the night but measures were in place to ensure no repeat of the incidents at this weekend?s final. Cllr Letchford said as he was approaching the town centre at around 9pm, he could hear such loud screaming and shouting he thought ?some sort of disturbance or riot was taking place?. He said he saw 30 or 40 youngsters congregated on both sides of the road outside the entrance of the Charter Hall, where the third heat of the musical talent contest was being held. Cllr Letchford saw young people clambering over and on the walls and fences around the church hall and Somerfield car park. ?At least one car had to brake sharply as youths ran back and forwards across the road regardless of the traffic.? He said residents of the Red Lion precinct and Rosemary House must have endured ?a miserable evening? due to the overall noise level and free use of foul language. ?The pavements and gutters were covered in litter. Plastic pint mugs were lying in the gutters, along with empty plastic bottles. The pavements were covered in discarded take-away fast food packaging and other wrappers. ?I know the misbehaviour took place outside the Charter Hall but the magnet for it was the Battle of the Bands heat.? The church hall in Market Street was also targetted during the evening. Michael Bennett, treasurer of the hall, wrote to the town council to report what he had seen when he was called to the premises at around 7.30pm. He wrote: ?Tomato ketchup had been strewn on the white walls of an adjacent building, on the wall of the hall and over the letter-box, which had been smashed for the second time in four days.? Mr Bennett said the two wrought iron gates to the car park had disappeared. ?We eventually found one gate lying in the riverside car park. The second had been thrown over a parapet on to an area ten to twelve feet down, close to an electricity sub-station. ?The building is totally for community use, and any loss or damage can hit our limited finances badly. ?We obviously forgive those that did all this, but wonder why on earth it was done.? The issue was discussed by the town council at the meeting of its parks committee on Monday. Town council representatives met Battle of the Bands organiser Richard Appleby this week to discuss the running of the event and to try to ensure measures were in place to ensure good behaviour ahead of the grand final of the contest in Simmons Park this weekend. Mr Appleby said: ?I regret some people may have been inconvenienced by the bad behaviour of a small number of people last week. ?The final on Saturday will be well stewarded by members of the Round Table and we have been in collaboration with the police to make sure all plans are in place for a brilliant night.? Cllr Christine Marsh said the Battle of the Bands had been ?very successful? and was a ?brilliant idea?. She was disappointed to hear of the anti-social behaviour outside the venue. She was concerned the event may have become a victim of its own success and had become so big that how to manage it might have to be reviewed. Cllr Tony Leech said: ?This event should still be promoted and we shouldn?t let the few ruin it for the majority. We have got to deal with the issue.? Town clerk Don Bent said he had attended the event for part of the evening. ?Inside it was well behaved and there were stewards walking around,? he said.
