Droves of teenagers heading to a Merseyside seaside town have been compared to the warring mods and rockers of the 1960s. The late May heatwave brought reports of serious violence offences, criminal damage, affray and arson to the upmarket Wirral beach town of West Kirby.
Local Business Owner Draws Parallels
Gifford Turner, 83, still works at the beachfront ice-cream kiosk he worked at during the 60s. He said: “Things with the mods and rockers are similar to the way they are with these kids. These kids are unruly.
“You’ll get gangs of 20 or 30 lads causing trouble. They’ll be drinking over on the dunes, sometimes setting fires. It’s not just kids, either. People aren’t responsible.
“They put hot barbecues in the bins outside here and they catch fire. I’ve had to go out and throw water into the bins. When the police turn up, the youngsters don’t seem to take any notice. They cause trouble.
“The mods and rockers were a nuisance, there were big fights on the beach, but we had an ex-army guy working for us who would grab the biggest one and sort things out.”
Speaking from behind the counter at Turner’s Ice Cream, Mr Turner said: “I’ve worked here since 1954, and there’s been changes for the better and for the worse. The beach is never as busy as it was.”
Concerns from Visitors and Residents
Roy Cullen, 78, visiting from Aintree, told the ECHO: “Parents should take more responsibility for their children and they should know where their kids are.
“I’m a retired minister and we had a youth club in Birkenhead. Some nights, we would have 100 teenagers, and I don’t think there’s enough of those places anymore. We had lovely relationships with them and they felt wanted and valued. It builds respect.”
Speaking of the situation in West Kirby, Roy’s wife Catherine Cullen said: “As you get older, you don’t feel safe around a big group of kids congregating like that.”
Police Action and Dispersal Zone
On Wednesday, May 27, Merseyside Police introduced a dispersal zone in West Kirby. Police were given extra powers to direct people they suspected of causing or were likely to cause crime, nuisance or anti-social behaviour to members of the public to leave a designated area and not return for up to 48 hours.
Irene Corke, 81, originally from Walton, has lived in West Kirby for more than two decades. She said: “The kids gathering doesn’t disturb me. They’re just kids, and we all did some stuff when we were that age.
“I don’t think there’s as much for the kids as there was back then, and they are going to make their own fun as a result. I’ve not seen anyone destroy anything and I’m down here [on the promenade] every day.”
Carol Roberts said: “The kids have nothing to do and nowhere to go. They’re coming here in droves.
“There needs to be more for them in their communities, and if they want to stop them coming into West Kirby and causing trouble, then maybe there could be police put at the station.”
Shopkeeper's Perspective
A shopkeeper, who requested not to be named, told the ECHO: “We get gangs of teenage boys coming through, and it can get quite intimidating. They pick things up and mess about with them, and sometimes one of their number will tell them to stop.
“Any time the sun comes out, you see droves coming from the train station. It’s a nuisance, and the dispersal orders are warranted. They seem to work. Shop owners feel a bit more secure.
“When you see them, you get that feeling of dread. You see a dozen coming and you worry about what’s going to happen.
“The worst is the lads on bikes, pulling wheelies down the road and not getting out of the way of cars.”
Existing Protections and Police Response
A public spaces protection order has been in place for West Kirby since 2024. Issued by Wirral Council, the order is intended to deal with particular nuisances or problems in a defined area that are considered to be detrimental to the community’s quality of life. It does this by imposing conditions on the use of that area which will apply to everyone so that the majority of people can enjoy the public space.
When the dispersal zone was introduced in May, Inspector Andrew Murphy said: “Over the last week we have seen an increase in large groups of youths from across Merseyside coming to West Kirby and causing crime in the area due to the hot weather.
“The recent increase has caused alarm and distress for residents in West Kirby and I would like to reassure our community that we will use all available powers to tackle these issues.
“If you are a parent or carer of a teenager or young adult please speak with them so that you know where they are or what they are up to. No parent wants a knock on their door from a police officer informing them that their child has been arrested or even been involved in a serious accident.
“Our officers will be in the area so please report any concerns so we can continue to take action.”
