BUSINESSES near the bus station plagued by antisocial behaviour want to see railway station by-laws extended to give interchange staff powers to take control of the problem.
The Chronicle was told intimidating behaviour by a ‘core group’ of kids is having an impact on businesses and the situation became so dire at one point that a coffee shop inside the interchange resorted to closing early after staff were threatened by a youth wearing a hoodie.
Other businesses, such as the Parkway Cinema, are also fed up and on the cusp of calling it a day because of yobbish antics.
Businesses believe there could be fresh hope in resolving issues after police told a meeting between those affected by the antisocial behaviour and bus station officials that extending railway by-laws so they include the whole of the interchange could help staff in bringing the problem under control.
Parkway boss Rob Younger, who was at the meeting, said: “There is talk that there are some by-laws the British Transport Police use on the railway and if they were extended to the bus station it would give staff the powers to ask for names and addresses and remove people from the premises which they cannot do at the moment.”
Read more in this weeks Barnsley Chronicle
