A headteacher has called on local residents to play their part in preventing pupils from causing problems in Lower Baildon.

Trina Hagerty, head at Salt Grammar School, is urging people to report any problems caused by students but says there is very little staff can do unless people are prepared to identify themselves.

The headteacher was speaking at the Lower Baildon Neighbourhood Forum, having been invited following complaints about vandalism, litter and people feeling intimidated by groups of youngsters congregating in and around Roberts Park during lunch hours and break-times.

One resident said people feared reprisals could be taken against them if they gave their names.

But Mrs Hagerty said: "We do get a lot of calls and letters from people who won't give their name and address which makes it almost impossible for us to do anything and means we can't even reply.

"But if people come into school, we have photos of almost every child so we'll be able to pinpoint them and deal with the problem.

"There's no need for people to feel intimidated and we wouldn't reveal to the children or their parents who had reported them.''

She said that, since complaints to the last neighbourhood forum, staff were now preventing pupils from leaving the school premises during break-times but added: "A lot have permission to go home at lunchtime which puts them out of our control and makes things more difficult.

"At times we do patrol the park but my responsibility is to make sure children in the school grounds are safe.''

Mrs Hagerty stressed that problems were only caused by a very small minority of the school's 1,000 students.

She added: "I've taught in seven different schools and the discipline at Salt is good."

T&A Opinion

'Tag' alcohol plea to shops

Police are looking at an idea which could see bottles and cans of booze 'tagged' in a bid to curb sales to under-age drinkers in Baildon.

If implemented the voluntary scheme would see alcohol containers stamped with a mark to identify which off-licence they originated at.

Each outlet taking part in the voluntary project would have its own unique stamp, which would enable police recovering cans and bottles from under-age drinkers to trace them back to the outlet they were bought at and to then take the appropriate action.

The idea was mooted by a member of the public at the Lower Baildon Neighbourhood Forum in the wake of concerns expressed by other residents about under-age drinking in the village.

But Keith Sowden, of Alldays on Baildon Road, said: "It would be totally impractical for shopkeepers to stamp every single can or bottle.''

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.