A SKIPTON councillor mounted his own surveillance operation and has accused the police of ignoring their powers to counter bad behaviour.

District councillor Mick Hill told Craven District Council's community services committee he felt the police were simply paying lip service to the rate payers of Craven.

Coun Hill sat in his car in the bus station one Friday night drivers after complaints from taxi drivers that they were subjected to verbal abuse and even assaults.

"At 11.10pm a police car drove into the bus station and drove out and then at 11.40pm a police car drove in and drove out," he said.

Coun Hill said he saw between 10 and 12, 16 and 17-year-olds sitting in the bus station drinking cans of beer and lager. The bus station is an "alcohol free zone" where police have the power to arrest people with open cans or bottles of alcohol.

Coun Hill voted against plans to introduce a dispersal order in Cowling to give the police powers to move on youths who were committing anti-social acts. However the council did approve Craven's first ever dispersal order in Cowling in a bid to try to reduce anti-social behaviour within the village.

The committee approved powers to allow the police to disperse groups of two or more where their presence or behaviour has, or may cause, distress, alarm, intimidation or harassment.

If anyone refuses the request they could face a fine of up to £2,500 or up to three months in prison.

Chairman of Cowling Parish Council and district ward representative for the village, John Alderson said: "I'm all in favour of going down this route.

"If we are going to try and stop this from happening again we have got to try and encourage them to do other things, to get them doing something responsible rather than irresponsible."