Concerns have been raised anti-social behaviour and public nuisance incidents are “getting worse” in Arnold after youths were seen throwing items off a church roof.
Nottinghamshire Police were called on Saturday afternoon (February 14) to reports of two youths who had climbed onto the roof of Arnold Methodist Church in Front Street.
The pair had thrown a number of items from the roof before they came back down.
There are calls for parents to “check where their children are” following the event and locals are concerned similar behaviour is increasing in the town.
Nottinghamshire County Councillor John Semens (Ref), who represents Arnold North, said he campaigned strongly about anti-social behaviour ahead of May 2025’s local elections.
He said: “I watched last night [February 17] a gang of kids trying to pull down a bus stop in Arnold. You would not walk through Arnold park at night in the school holidays.
“As a resident, this behaviour is getting worse – not massively worse – but you always see an increase in the school holidays.
“[Climbing on roofs] is quite a common stunt for them. At the back end of Front Street they like to get up there – I’ve had reports on them throwing things down to pedestrians or spitting on them.”
Cllr Semens said he has met with the police several times to ask if more officers could have a presence in the area but “the answer you get back is [not enough] resources”.
Gedling Borough Councillor Marje Paling (Lab), who is part of the Arnold Local Area Forum councillor group, said anti-social behaviour in the town has increased but acknowledged efforts to curb it had got results.
She said: “Once the dispersal notices are put up and police increase their controls – which they get to know which children are doing it – the situation tends to improve.”
Fellow Borough Councillor, Henry Wheeler (Lab), who is also part of the forum, said: “Obviously the children in question are putting themselves in very serious danger and could have fallen off the roof or through the roof with a potential fatality.
“I’d be asking questions of the parents or carers – do they know what their children are doing and where they are?
“As a professional who works with children and young people in a different role, I would argue some very serious youth diversionary activities and education are needed and support put in place for those parents who struggle to manage childrens’ behaviour.”
He also questioned how it was possible for the youths to gain access to the roof and about future prevention.
Nottinghamshire Police say neighbourhood officers are working with the Methodist Church to make the building as secure as possible.
Sergeant Alison Riley, of the Gedling Central neighbourhood policing team, said: “These young people are risking serious injury or worse every time they trespass like this.
“It is also extremely dangerous to throw projectiles from a height in this way.
“The neighbourhood team is working hard to prevent future incidents and we’d ask parents to check where their children are and make it clear to them about the risks involved.”
