'Kids climbing on roof' amid police crackdown

Police have issued dispersal orders and increased patrols in Workington's town centre

A cafe owner said she had caught children climbing onto her roof while police are trying to crack down on youth anti-social behaviour in two seaside towns.

Ashleigh McGee, who is a co-owner of a Workington business, said she had had "quite a few problems" with children being "rude" and making gestures when asked to get down.

She told Radio Cumbria one youth "flashed" at her and it was a "disgusting" experience.

Cumbria Police said it sent eight children home across Workington and Whitehaven at the weekend after issuing a number of dispersal orders.

The orders allow police to remove people from public areas and arrest them if they return.

Officers took two young people home from Whitehaven on Friday for climbing onto a shop roof and another boy was escorted home on Saturday for throwing things from a bridge.

Another boy was arrested and then released and taken home from the same area on Sunday.

'Talk to children'

Another three boys were also ordered to leave the area on the same day.

Ch Insp Richard Smillie, of the Cumbria force, said it had responded to an increase in callouts in recent weekends which "directs officers away from responding to other calls for service".

"We would ask parents and guardians to make sure they know where their children are and to talk to them about the impact of this type of activity and the consequences," he said.

He also said the force would increase police patrols in a bid to deter anti-social behaviour.