PROBLEMS caused by bored teenagers in Crewe are to be tackled with a scheme pioneered by police in Manchester.

The POD project was created by the Tameside division of Greater Manchester Police in 1997 after complaints about young people making a nuisance of themselves.

A POD is a vandal-proof steel cabin, with a sink and electricity supply, which is big enough to accommodate 15 people with more able to gather outside.

In Tameside the number of nuisance complaint calls from the areas the PODs have been sited has dropped by as much as 60 per cent.

In Crewe the borough council has chosen Carrington Way Playground for a POD after complaints by local residents about noise.

Discussions followed with young people who said they had nothing to do and nowhere to go.

After consultations a visit was arranged to a POD in Stalybridge where the young people were very impressed with the arrangements.

Councillors discussed the scheme at the leisure committee meeting last week and agreed to hire a POD for the playground.

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