The homes of teens from North Tyneside 'wrecking spree' were visited

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North Tyneside council worker and police visit a homeImage source, North Tyneside Council
Image caption,

Council workers and police officers made early morning visits to 10 homes across North Tyneside

The families of teenagers behind a "wrecking spree" - when a shopping trolley was thrown at a train and an ambulance attacked - have been served with legal warnings.

North Tyneside Council and Northumbria Police earlier visited 10 rented properties in Meadow Well and Wallsend linked to recent anti-social behaviour.

Parents of the teenagers, aged 13 to 16, were told they could face eviction.

The youngsters have all been stopped by police for anti-social behaviour.

They have been served with warnings, with three households receiving a "notice-seeking possession" - a final warning for a tenant before eviction proceedings begin.

Image source, Nexus/Tyne and Wear Metro
Image caption,

The shopping trolley could easily have caused a derailment, Nexus said

The anti-social behaviour included vandalism to the roof of Riley's Fish Shack in Tynemouth, an attack on an ambulance crew at the Parks Sports Centre, North Shields, and a shopping trolley thrown at a moving Metro train earlier this month at Monkseaton, which disrupted services.

Such attacks saw a joint project set up between the council and police force called Operation Respect.

Ch Insp Colin Lowther, from Northumbria Police's North Tyneside Neighbourhood Policing Teams, said: "I hope this acts as a strong warning to others - action will be taken against you if you cause anti-social behaviour that impacts the local community.

"North Tyneside is a great place to live and boasts fantastic community values, the majority of residents love and respect the area. Anyone found deliberately causing chaos and acting in an anti-social manner will be dealt with swiftly."

Ritchie Mitchell, the council's community and public space protection manager, said: "The strength of our partnership with the police means we are always well-equipped to identify and tackle those responsible. It means we can respond quickly when incidents occur, so that those responsible are dealt with in the right way."

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