POLICE chiefs have sparked fury in a New Forest village by planning to hold a meeting about its antisocial behaviour problems behind closed doors.

Residents of Hordle, near Lymington, have complained about gangs of teenagers wreaking havoc and causing thousands of pounds of damage to buildings and facilities in the community.

As reported in the Daily Echo, they have barricaded parish councillors inside the sports pavilion, intimidated villagers and vandalised shops and the Women's Institute hall.

Now residents are outraged that the issue will be the subject of a private meeting with the parish council on December 7.

Penny Lovelace, owner of Classic Cuts hairdressing salon in Stopples Lane, said: "The police are in denial that there's a problem so by having a private meeting they are still not going very public about it. It's very cowardly."

District councillor John Hoy, who lives in Hordle, also criticised the decision to meet in private.

He said: "I haven't had an invitation and neither has my wife, who is the president of the Women's Institute which has had lots of problems."

New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne said: "Clearly the problem affects the whole village.

"I was there on Friday and spoke to a couple of people who were aware there was a meeting, but no one knew who was holding it or when.

"They were irritated and if I lived in Hordle I would be irritated too. I would want to know why I as an ordinary citizen had not been represented."

The Forest's senior police officer, Supt Barry Talbot, said the meeting was arranged weeks ago and refused to divulge who had been invited.

He said: "It's a private meeting. We have them all day, every day of the week. We meet with people who have problems to sort things out."

Supt Talbot said an officer would be present at the next meeting of Hordle Parish Council's amenities committee on December 13 which residents could attend.