NINE youths, two wielding iron bars, confronted staff in an Ilkley shop and then verbally abused them.,

Charlotte O'Malley, manageress of Fifth Avenue in The Moors Shopping Centre, cam face to face with the youths after removing a skateboard belonging to one of them on Tuesday afternoon.

Miss O'Malley said: "It was really frightening. We all felt very threatened, as did our customers."

Miss O'Malley requested that three youths who were skateboarding outside her premises do so away from her shop and when they ignored her she took the skateboard.

The three youths returned with six others, two carrying iron bars.

The gang then proceeded to verbally abuse the members of staff inside the shop before Miss O'Malley could persuade them to leave.

Sergeant Esther Hobbs, of Ilkley Police, said: "The incident that occurred has been reported and is being dealt with. We are aware that skateboarding is a problem in Ilkley, particularly around The Moors Shopping Centre.

"We would ask that shopkeepers report each and every incident of damage that occurs.

"Parents are often under the misconception that skateboarding is an innocent thing; a good, healthy pastime. But skateboarders are actually causing a lot of damage.

"A lot of steps in the town are now chipped from skateboarders using them and there is an increase in litter. They are actually eroding Ilkley town centre."

Sergeant Hobbs added: "On the whole kids who skateboard are not criminals. But they are causing damage to steps and buildings throughout the town. We would ask that skateboarders skate nearer home and be more responsible about it."

The charity Pipedream has been campaigning for a skate park in Ilkley. They have just reached their £50,000 target for work to begin on the project and hope to have the park in use by the summer holidays.

Miss O'Malley said: "We are all for a skate park in Ilkley but would just ask that until then the skateboarders show a little respect to residents and businesses in the town."