Curfew for kids

A PIONEERING night curfew is to be introduced in Redruth later this month as community leaders try to build on the good work already done to reduce anti social behaviour in the town.

Operation Goodnight will ask parents to ensure their 16-year-olds are off the streets by 9pm and under 10s are at home by 8pm in the Close Hill area.

The aim is to reduce the risk of them becoming victims of crime or being offenders themselves.

The voluntary scheme, which will run from Friday, July 25, until Sunday, September 7, is being introduced by Redruth's neighbourhood police team working with the support of other agencies and residents.

Neighbourhood beat manager PC Marc Griffin said: “For many months, residents who have attended the Partners and Communities Together meetings have expressed concern over ongoing reports of children as young as eight being out, unsupervised, late into the night.

“It is a fact that young people are at an increased risk of becoming either a victim or offender of crime and or anti social behaviour if left unsupervised during the evenings.

“The spirit of this scheme is not about restricting what our young people can and cannot do but making certain that during the summer holiday evenings they are able to enjoy themselves but not at the expense of the wider community.

“A number of diversionary activities will be put in place, including football coaching sessions organised by the Fire Brigade as well events being planned by Redruth North Partnership.”

Multi-agency patrols will take place in the area at night with parents and carers contacted about children out after the curfew time.

If it is felt a child remains vulnerable, referrals will be made to the appropriate agencies.

Redruth North was the subject of a dispersal order last winter and one major conclusion that came from that initiative was that residents believed parents were not taking responsibility for their children.

Operation Goodnight is being supported by Redruth North Partnership, Redruth Town Council, Redruth North PACT panel, Kerrier District Council's Anti Social Behaviour Team, the Fire Brigade and Coastline Housing.

Julian Commons, anti social behaviour coordinator for West Cornwall, said: “This scheme is a way that parents can work together with agencies in their local communities to keep their children safe and prevent them from possibly being at risk of being a victim or possibly an offender of crime or anti social behaviour.

“While we acknowledge that the vast majority of parents are extremely responsible, we need to encourage all parents to take responsibility for their children so that the community is a safer place for everyone who lives there.”