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Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 07:00
James Welch, legal director of Liberty, told a Plymouth inquiry yesterday the ultrasonic devices were deliberately setting out to create a nuisance. The devices emit a high-pitched sound only young people can hear. They are designed to stop children from loitering outside shops.
"Our view is that the Mosquito offends against the law on statutory nuisance," Mr Welch said.
If anybody complained, Plymouth City Council's environmental health department would be obliged to investigate under the Environmental Protection Act, he told an inquiry set up by the council, and Liberty would back anyone who challenged the devices in court.
The children's champion, Sir Al Aynsley- Green, told the inquiry: "What is happening in Plymouth reflects what is happening across the country. There is a serious risk of polarising old and the young. Using these devices is a knee-jerk reaction attempting a quick-fix solution."
He said Mosquitoes were indiscriminate because they targeted any young person, whether they were misbehaving or not. And it was discrimination to use a device that could only be heard by those under 25.
"If there was a device targeted at black people there would be an uproar," Sir Al, the Children's Commissioner for England, said.
But retailers defended their use of the Mosquito. Tim Pearce, chief operating officer of the Food Group said Plymouth & South West Co-operative Society had installed Mosquitoes at three of its stores in Plymouth.
"It's not unusual for our stores to have groups of up to 50 youths congregating late in the evening. It can be a tinderbox," he said.
"Customers are abused and intimidated by youths trying to get them to buy alcohol. In these circumstances a Mosquito is activated and defuses a situation that could otherwise get out of hand."
The council's own anti-social behaviour unit admitted it had two mobile devices that could be set up where they were needed.
Susan Kane, anti-social behaviour officer, said their two units had only been used four times since they were bought in January 2007. Most recently a Mosquito had been installed at the entrance to the Chaucer Way library store to protect staff from youths who congregated there, she said.
William Watrin-Cattrall, 12, from St Boniface's College, spoke at the inquiry, saying: "The Mosquito device is a bit like a cheap version of an angry old man who shouts at children.
"But it doesn't work. It's a waste of time."
He said one of the devices was installed at West Park Primary School.
"It's not painful or powerful – it just annoys you," he said.
He also added there were not enough leisure facilities for young people.
"Most of them open at 8am when all the young people are still asleep, and close at 3pm. They should stay open until 10pm, William said. "There are not enough places to go. The Mosquito shows disrespect and chases us away from schools and shops."
William said he would welcome after-hours activities at school.
"When it's sunny I usually go to the skate park in Central Park. Apart from that there's not much to do. The Pavilions pool costs £3, which is too expensive."
Sir Al said: "Young people tell me they gather in places like shopping centres because they are safe and there is nowhere else for them to go.
"There are 50,000 young girls in this country who say they would like to join the Girl Guides. But they can't because adults are refusing to volunteer (as leaders).
"I'm not condoning wrongdoing. Anyone who commits a crime must be dealt with by the law, but the majority of young people are law-abiding."
Sir Al said there were signs all over the city saying: 'No Dogs. No children. No ball Games'.
He asked: "Is there a public space in Plymouth with a sign that says: 'Children Welcome'?"
He said 70 per cent of newspaper stories about young people were negative, referring to them as 'thugs, yobs, evil, louts, monsters, heartless, feral, sick, menacing, inhuman and hoodies'.
"Is it any wonder grannies sitting behind their net curtains are terrified?" Sir Al said.
"Children must be brought up with discipline, knowing that if they commit crime they will be held to account.
"But young people feel aggrieved at the lack of respect they are shown."
He said the National Autistic Society had concerns about use of the devices as they had said children with autism or Asperger's Syndrome were particularly distressed by the noise from a Mosquito.
"The Mosquito doesn't tackle the root cause of the problem of anti-social behaviour – it simply shifts it somewhere else," Sir Al said.
"The Chinese are also making a cheap version which has the potential to be sold in any DIY shop. Imagine a street where every house has one of these devices.
"Kids hang around because that's what kids do. It's not an aberrant aspect of this generation. What has changed is adult perception. Parents are crucially important. We are not investing nearly enough in giving young couples the parenting skills."
Paddy O'Brien-Harvey, a Plymouth Member of the UK Youth Parliament, and former member Jake Paget, told the panel: "Not all young people are troublemakers. This is tarring us all with the same brush."
They said 57 per cent of anti-social behaviour orders issued in 2006 were imposed on adults.
"There is this view that young people are to be feared," Paddy said.
"The media image of yobs with knives makes people afraid."
Jake told the panel, which included Reace McDonnell and Katie Taylor, two deputy members of the UK Youth Parliament, that many problems were drink-related.
"I was shocked to see that you could buy two litres of cider for 98p at Tesco Lee Mill," he said.
Paddy added: "A lot of adults are scared to talk to groups of young people and young people are also apprehensive about talking to adults."
Chief Superintendent Jim Webster, the Plymouth police commander, said: "Crime and bad behaviour must be tackled and not tolerated. But we mustn't take a short-term view. The use of the Mosquito must be proportionate to the problem. It must be used in the time and the place where a problem has happened, and only in short bursts."
Mosquitoes could be a solution in places where the police were called to repeatedly.
Bronwen Lacey, the council's director of children's services, called for a ban on having Mosquitoes on council buildings.
Asked by Cllr David Viney (Con, Plymstock Dunstone) how many schools were using the devices, she said: "I don't know. Nobody is required to ask our opinion or to inform us. There is no regulation of these devices. They can be put up anywhere by anyone."
The inquiry was set up by Cllr David James, chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission, after six students at Tamarside Community College started a petition against the devices.
St Budeaux Labour councillor Sally Letcher, who supported the Tamarside Six, told the inquiry: "If an adult came to us and said they couldn't get any sleep because of a horrendous noise we would have done something a lot sooner."
Cllr James asked: "What about the shopkeeper who is losing trade and having damage done to his property. You say it's a police matter, but often the police have more urgent problems."
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HEAR US OUT: Deputy members of the UK Youth Parliament Katie Taylor and Reace McDonnell, current member Paddy O'Brien-Harvey and former member Jake Paget
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