Toilet hotspot for trouble making teens

A town-centre dunny is the new hot spot for trouble-making teens, and neighbouring business owners hate it.

Two fire engines attended a small fire in the toilet block at Liz Davidson Place, on Queen Street in Blenheim last week.

The call out is just the latest in a long string of incidences say neighbours, who fearing retribution asked to remain anonymous.

Fires, fights and flying projectiles are all par for the course at the small park.

“It’s unsupervised teens.

“Sometimes they’re on the roof throwing acorns, or things, at people, or looking through the skylights at people in the toilets.

“The bins have been on fire quite a few times.

“I smelt it burning but I didn’t realise it was the toilet.”

But police are saying they can’t do anything if people don’t tell them there’s a problem.

Senior community constable Russ Smith says police would rather be called to attend and find that they are not required, than find out about a crime or serious incident well after the fact.

“It is so much easier for police to resolve the facts of an incident if they are called at the time and are able to speak to all the people involved.

“Policing is reasonably challenging and there are lots of complications that sometimes make the work difficult,” Russ says.

“Police staff rely on good information to make their efforts effective and as members of Police, we all recognise that we are more efficient in dealing with crime and incidents when members of the public report incidents to us promptly.

Police were notified of the fire at about 5.30pm, a police spokeswoman says.

“It appears the fire was out around 5.45pm,” she says.

“Police took statements at the scene and will be making enquiries into the circumstances.”

The neighbours say they aren’t surprised by the fire.

“Judging by prior things going on there, it was probably kids that lit it on fire,” they say.

They say during school holidays, it gets worse.

“It’s just swearing and loud music, usually. Sometimes, it’s fire and scraps.

“Passer-by have had to break up fights and the water fountain has been bent out of shape several times.”

The children are in school uniform, sometimes, neighbours say.

“Police were called on a fight last week – it was really bad.”

The neighbour suggested cutting the wifi may make the area less attractive to the teens.

“People avoid the park when there’s a mob of them there.

“They still young – they can’t take all the blame. They need something to do,” they say.

If you see or hear something that you believe is criminal or suspicious, call the Police on 111 at the time, don’t doubt yourself and leave it until later.