A SHOP manager is furious after a police community support officer (CSO) stood by while youths vandalised his gate, he says.

Harj Minhas, who manages Premier Broadway Express in Broadway Grove, St John's, Worcester, says the gang of nine teenagers "see-sawed" on the gate at the entrance to the shop car park while a CSO stood by and did nothing.

The alleged incident happened at around 5pm on Sunday, June 17, and is now being investigated by West Mercia police after Mr Minhas lodged a formal complaint against the officer, who has not been named by police.

Mr Minhas, aged 29, believes the damaged swing gate, designed to stop cars getting into the car park when the shop is closed, will cost at least £1,000 to replace and says youngsters use the car park as a "play park".

Mr Minhas says the teenagers, aged between 14 and 15, have caused damage to the gate hinge by swinging on it, causing the end to lean towards the ground.

He said: "There was a group of youths and I could clearly see them see-sawing on the gate.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing. There was a CSO standing there. I said to her, They're kicking and jumping around on it'. I said to them, Hoi! Off my gate!' "A girl kicked it. The CSO was stood with them, chatting to them. The response from the CSO was, Sorry, I didn't realise it was your gate.' What's her job? She just stood there while they vandalised it. A policemen told me CSOs had no powers of arrest. She could at least have said, Get off the gate' or phoned the police station. I have nothing against the police, but business is hard enough - we need the support of our local police.

"Youths are loitering around the shops and people accuse the shopkeepers of selling alcohol to children. We don't do this. We get the older kids asking for alcohol. If they are over 18 and they have got ID, what can we do?"

A spokesman for West Mercia police would not comment on the allegation itself or name the CSO concerned, but said: "We have received a complaint and it's being looked into."