TOUGH measures to rid Otley of its problem teenage gangs have been shelved - for fear of branding the town a no-go area.

Police have been gathering evidence to impose a far-reaching dispersal order at the main trouble spot, the bus station.

The order would have given police extra powers to arrest troublemakers or move them on.

But town councillors this week agreed to shelve the action for the time being and give extra policing, including Police Community Support Officers, in the town more time.

On Monday at the council's Community Development Committee meeting, Community Inspector Mark Hartley said he could move ahead with the dispersal order, but warned of the consequences for the town.

He pointed out that similar orders in other parts of the police division had been very successful, but added they were usually adopted in areas where levels of crime were far more serious and not usually to combat incidents of what in Otley he claimed was more anti-social behaviour.

"These orders have been very effective in other parts of Leeds where there have been gangs of drug users and car thieves, but that is not the case in Otley.

"We have low level anti-social behaviour which is annoying but there is no real offence being committed.

"We want to stop the anti-social behaviour, but the problem is what impression people will have if Otley has a dispersal order - and is it a sledge hammer to crack a nut?"

Insp Hartley said that Operation Aberdare, which has been active in Otley since the start of the year and paid in part with £10,000 from the town council and the now disbanded Otley and Wharfedale Community Involvement Team, had been working very well.

In addition to police officers working in the town overtime, Otley now has two full time PCSOs who also covered Yeadon and Guiseley.

Since January, 85 letters had been sent out to parents of badly behaved young people, 11 contracts had been drawn up requiring trouble-makers to behave and three full Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) had been issued.

In addition, arrests had been made in connection to graffiti in the town and progress was being made in stopping troublemakers already under ASBOs from other parts of Leeds from travelling to Otley.

Insp Hartley said: "In the last few months the amount of disorder from young people has fallen and the number of complaints we have had have only been two or three.

"The number of young people hanging around in groups has gone down. It seems the 85 letters we have sent out have worked and parents have done the right thing. A lot of the gangs have dispersed and those who are left at those who think it is fun."

Councillor Norman Harrison said he believed there was still a problem with young people and added that he escorted his wife home from work every night because she felt too intimidated to walk through the bus station.

And Coun John Eveleigh said: "The bus station is still a big problem in the town and certainly for older people who feel intimidated, but this order is fairly drastic and something we should leave on the shelf.

"It is quite a draconian measure and I'm all for using it as a last resort, but we seem to be talking about it as a first resort here."

Committee chairman, Coun Colin Campbell pointed out the problem teenagers were a very small minority in the town.

"The majority of young people in Otley lead normal lives and don't cause any problems.

"This is a very small minority who seem to enjoy what they are doing and know what they can get away with and if we move them out of the town centre we'll only move them somewhere else.

"It is the ones that are causing the problem that we want taking out of the loop."