Police want closed circuit cameras to be installed on a new £1 million retail development and provision made for gangs who hang around the site.

The call comes after the site's developer announced building work on the old Morrison supermarket car park at Bolton Junction would start in January next year.

Traders and residents living around the junction welcomed the news as gangs of up to sixty youths had started to use it as a meeting place on evenings and weekends.

A hard core minority were thought to be responsible for destroying shop and car windows and creating an intimidating atmosphere.

In the worst incident, police were called after three bus shelters and a phone box were smashed up.

Sergeant Kevin Edwards, of Eccleshill Police's Community Acton Team, said the development was very good news for the area. He said: "At the moment the site is doing nothing so it's just a magnet for the kids.

"What we'd like to see built into the development are closed circuit television cameras and even something for the youths who hang around on the site.

"I believe one of the shops is going to be a twenty-four operation. Anything that puts people on the site during these hours is good for security purposes."

He said West Yorkshire Police's architect Peter Woodhouse had been in touch with the developer, Nottingham firm Metropolitan Developmen, to discuss the matter.

Metropolitan's director David Lewin confirmed his architect had liaised with the police over security on the new development.

He added: "The area where the youths congregate will be a building site within the next four to five weeks so it will resolve that problem."

Until its sale Wm Morrison Supermarkets had hired a security contractor to guard the site during the week and at weekends.

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