STANDING around in the depths of Salters Shopping Centre after dark cannot be much fun, even on a relatively mild night, but youngsters in the town say that is what they do almost every evening in Droitwich because there is nowhere else for them to go.

Well, there is the Lido park, of course, but that is also outside and no matter where they decide to meet the chances are the police will be called to move them on sooner rather than later.

As I walked to meet them I watched as a couple of boys kicked a plastic bottle top to one another across the concrete floor while the majority of the group of at least 20 youngsters were huddled closely together in the depths of discussion – not exactly anti-social behaviour by any stretch of imagination.

While I had no idea what they were discussing it is fair to say I did not expect them to be excitedly bouncing ideas off one another and drawing up a business plan for what could potentially become the place teenagers in the town say they have been crying out for for decades – a new youth centre.

Laura Burbury, aged 16, said: “I think it’s a good idea because we have nowhere to go so we get moved on by the police all of the time.

“It will be a place where all of our friends can get together instead of causing problems for people in the precinct and elsewhere and being moved on all of the time.

“There are some people, some groups of children, who are vandals but people have got to learn that you can’t tar all children with the same brush – we are not all like that.

“We just want a friendly place for all of us to go into and hang around.”

Connor Macrow, aged 15, said: “I’m out every night and there’s nowhere to go and nothing to do.

“There is a youth centre at Witton but it’s not open all of the time and on Fridays you get a lot of people who are drunk and get into trouble.”

We previously reported in your Worcester News how a planning application has been submitted to Wychavon District Council for a change of use to the former Hotelshop premises in the High Street following calls for one from young people at Police and Communities Together (PACT) meetings.

Talks are now being held between the council, Droitwich Spa Area Partnership, Droitwich Spa Young Peoples Action Group and the owner of the premises to take on the lease, but the application has received a mixed response with some businesses in the High Street calling the proposed youth centre’s location unsuitable.

As I talked with this group of youngsters they said the High Street, which has two CCTV cameras at either end, was an ideal location in which they could meet and relax with friends in the evenings and at weekends because the area is safe and well-lit.

They denied they would cause trouble or damage shops because they are facilities they want to use as well.

The planning application has so far stated the ground floor would be used as the place for youngsters to meet. The facilities would include seating, a games area, and even a youth café.

The upper floor would remain as offices and be used by agencies to offer support services to young people through initiatives, such as Connexions.

As I talked with some of the youngsters others helped compile a wish-list of what they would like to see at the new centre.

While a wide-screen television and snooker table were obvious luxuries, there were also sensible pleas to have a youth worker at the centre to keep an eye on them while others discussed nominal entry fees that would be used to help buy the equipment they all want.

Talia Harpa, aged 14, who attends Droitwich High School, said she was out about six times a week with her friends.

“I really think the youth centre would be used,” she said. “We are always being moved on but this will give us somewhere to go.”

Joe Hemming, aged 15, said contrary to what some traders believe, he thought the proposed location was perfect because it was central to most peoples’ homes.

“This would help keep everyone out of trouble as well,” he said, and with that the police arrived and everyone was asked to move on.