A NEW project has been set up to tackle drugs, littering and vandalism at a leisure complex.

KWood Youth Club in Knightwood has now launched its KWood Youth Project to engage with young people at Knightwood Leisure Complex.

Two detached youth workers will now be monitoring the area two nights a week.

Their role will be to engage and consult with young people and to deliver "diversionary activities" until the usual youth club can resume once coronavirus restrictions are eased.

The project is in response to on-going, continuous reports of "antisocial behaviour" in the area which is said to include smoking cannabis, littering, and vandalising fencing and bus stops.

This comes after two section 35 Dispersal Orders were authorised for the area by police last October to try and combat the problem.

An action group was set up consisting of councillors, Places Leisure, police, community associations, the Test Valley Community Team and the youth club and following discussions with partners, funding has now been sourced for the new project.

County councillor and chair of Valley Park Parish Council, Alan Dowden, claimed the parish council are contributing £4,000 for the project, with the borough council also contributing £7,000.

He added: "I've always argued that the biggest thing we're lacking is detached youth workers.

"If they get out amongst the youth they can find out a lot of things that are troubling them and find out things they like to do.

"The youth problem has escalated recently because they have not been in school or college. It's depressing residents as it's been bad enough for them with the lockdown anyway."

The project started last Friday and is now set to run for an initial six month period.