by MATT DONLAN POLICE are vowing to clamp down on vandals who tried to set fire to the Ryelands House com-munity centre in Lancaster on Monday night.

A firework was pushed through the letter box of the building and set fire to items of mail, causing smoke damage to the building on Owen Road.

Fire fighters managed to contain the fire and now PC Craig Mossop, the community beat manager for Skerton East, is appealing for witnesses to come forward.

"We have had problems at the com-munity centre in the past although they do seem to come and go in phases," says PC Mossop.

"These people move on and find alternative forms of entertainment in the evenings but we will clamp down on them."

He told the Citizen: "The problem is that groups of youths who congregate at the centre can see a police vehicle coming from any direction because of the building's situation. They then walk off and it is very difficult to prove they have done anything.

"I do not believe the community centre is being targeted but it is an area that we always monitor."

There was also an assault on a man and his son on Owen Road on Friday night, and while PC Mossop cannot link the attack with the attempted arson he adds: "There is a problem in the area with youths hanging about.

"But the problems are not restricted to Skerton. They are all over the city and all over the country and come under the banner of juvenile nuisance - and it is something we are particularly keen to clamp down on.

"We have regular instances at weekend's of under-age drinking on the streets and when we find that we seize the alcohol from them and destroy it.

"If we can prove who is supplying the booze to youngsters, those people will be prosecuted."

Anyone with information should contact PC Mossop on 01524-63333.