by Hayley Robinson

A group of teenagers criticised for skating in the town could get a new skateboarding park after winning support.

Staff who made complaints about the youngsters hanging around outside Central House, in Central Avenue, Sittingbourne, have agreed to help them tap into funding to make the project become a reality.

Up to 30 youths have been meeting outside the building after school and at the weekend since the Unreal Skate Park, in Tribune Drive, Sittingbourne, closed at the end of 2009.

Chris White, director of Swale Council Voluntary Service (CVS), which operates from the building, says the youths have verbally abused her, damaged flowerbeds and set fire to bins.

The group, meanwhile, claim they have had water thrown at them by kitchen staff.

The comments were made during the Local Engagement Forum meeting at Phoenix House last week.

Matt Wakeford, 19, said: "We would move on if people spoke to us as normal people, but if you open a window and yell at us and throw stuff it's not going to help the scenario."

Mrs White said: "We have got elderly clients from Age Concern and they feel intimidated by you.

"I understand you need somewhere to go but I'm not sure it's the best place."

Matt suggested that one solution would be to set times the group could skate at the site.

While Mrs White said she did not mind the youngsters being there after 4pm, Garth Spann, chairman of the Avenue Theatre, pointed out that out-of-hours was their busiest time.

The discussion concluded with James Walker, community development worker for Swale CVS, agreeing to work with the teenagers.

He said: "They are going to decide on five people that are going to represent their group.

"We can look at the options of creating a trust so we can look at different funding options."

As an immediate solution, Kent County Councillor Mike Whiting (Swale Central) has agreed to provide between £500 and £1,000 from his community grant towards paying for a minibus to take the group to skateboarding parks around Kent.