May I address an open letter to Mr David Renard, leader of Swindon Borough Council? The subject: Bloomsbury children’s park.

Mondays. Locals witness the usual beer cans and broken vodka bottles strewn across the play area, littering the pathway where dogs sniff. Toddlers must think this is the norm!

Summertime hordes of sweet-mouthed teenagers descend here, some armed with matches and malice aforethought. Over one week last June the police were summoned 11 times from midnight onwards, sometimes again at 4am. Another month, umpteen youths ran amok until 6am after their proms night.

Today’s anti-social elements are surely tomorrow’s inmates, unless nipped in the bud. What annoys us residents is the attitude of the local anti-social behaviour office, who seems to have abandoned us.

One employee last summer purportedly visited every home in Bloomsbury Close, inquiring whether they had any problems regarding the park. There were none! The employee never bothered to contact us complainants. How devious and unprofessional.

The ‘reception’ (a roofed bandstand structure) was donated to West Swindon’s anti-social elements by the ASB team. One official rang last week with an ‘update’ (three months late). She advised, in between laughing, that the bandstand we residents want removed was going ‘to be refurbished. Let’s invite the mayor and Adver along for an official opening!’ I suggested she move the bandstand close to where she lives. She declined, in between further bouts of laughter. She explained there were not enough complaints to warrant action. Last summer 15 of us residents met Councillor Swinyard to discuss options. I asked how many ‘complaints’ were required. She did not know and said she would ring back. She didn’t.

No sympathy offered. It is as if we, the tax-paying residents, are suddenly the creatures of the night.

It’s a shame she never took the trouble to accompany the police out here in the early morning hours last year; perhaps we’d have some respect for her office then. We are advised, yet again, to keep a logbook for the coming storm. Great in theory. Several are elderly, some suffer from chronic, debilitating illnesses, others, depression. Others have simply given up.

The ASB unit could not care less about our plight. How else do you explain their lack of action? Clearly, they do not want their ‘baby’ removed.

Councillor Renard, do we residents have to suffer yet another summer of disturbed sleep? According to the anti-social behaviour team, it appears we do. ‘Yobs rule’ seems to be their motto.

Jeffery Adams Bloomsbury Close Swindon