A "YOUTH Shelter" designed and managed by youngsters could reduce anti-social behaviour.

That is the view of Malvern Hills District Council community safety officer, Mark Mckay.

He told Malvern Town Council's annual meeting on Monday that the shelters had been reducing ASB around the country for the past five years.

The constructions, which vary in appearance from looking like bus shelters to garden furniture, have been used in London, Manchester and Liverpool after the idea caught on in America where they helped tackle gang crime.

Mr Mckay, who works for MHDC tackling ASB, told the 20-strong audience at this week's public meeting: "The shelters work. I'm in favour of them."

He explained that statistics showed youths gather because they want to be away from their parents "but they end up annoying people".

"The shelters are a space the youngsters can call their own," he said. "All they need is a basketball hoop and a rubbish bin. They won't drop litter around their own shelter. I can't tell you why they work but they do."

He stressed that the youngsters at whom the shelter was aimed must be involved with its design and construction.

He said in Burnley a shelter resulted in nuisance behaviour dropping by one-third across the town.

The average cost for a shelter is around £7,000.

Town clerk Shirley Young said the council had no plans to install a youth shelter but the idea might be investigated after the local elections on May 1.

At the meeting out-going mayor Frances Victory gave a summary of her last year as mayor.

"It has been lively to say the least," she said. "Sometimes it's been like pushing mules up a ladder, reaching decisions at full council meetings."