A case well made

There is always a small group of troublemakers who attach themselves to any sport, facility or group meeting place, and give the many a bad name, but anyone visiting either an indoor or outdoor skate-park anywhere in the country will testify to the fact the majority of skaters, bladers or BMXers are well-behaved, polite to each other and only want to enjoy their sport.

Skateboarding is not a minority sport. There can be few boys of between five and 15 who don't own a skateboard or haven't had a go at some time in their lives.

Ideally an indoor skateboarding facility should be provided in Malvern so there is a safe alternative to skating on the street for those hundreds of boys (and some girls) in Malvern and the outlying districts who want to pursue their sport safely. At indoor skateparks there is usually a shop and cafe or drink facility, run by enterprising youngsters, which provides a meeting place, out of the weather, where youngsters can socialise.

So many parents have children who skateboard there must be a lot of latent support out there for such a facility. The ideal location is a building of some kind away from residential streets but close to the town centre or railway station, so it can be easily accessed by young people.

If anybody knows of such a building, please get in touch with Jenny Lawrence, MHDC's community safety officer, and if anybody is interested in getting together to support the setting up of such a facility, please get in touch.

There may even be a businessman or woman out there with children who follow these sports, who may know of a suitable facility or a place which could be converted to accommodate them. I'm sure the improvement in facilities for young people would be directly proportionate to a fall in vandalism and petty crime.

Skateboarding can be noisy and unsociable, but then so can mowing the lawn and cutting hedges with electric saws on peaceful summer evenings.

Catherine Campbell, Harcourt Road, West Malvern.