VILLAGERS in vandal-hit Hamble are making a plea to youth workers to help put the lid on antisocial behaviour which has been plaguing the yachting mecca.

The village has experienced a catalogue of problems this year which have included:

Vandal attacks on the parish dinghy park, where 14 boat covers were slashed and a boat used by the Royal British Legion for outings for the disabled was damaged.

Attacks on public toilets at the parish quay, which forced closure of the facilities.

Portable toilets in the quay car park being continually pushed over.

Graffiti and human excrement daubed on memorial seats on the foreshore.

Drinking on recreation grounds resulting in broken glass being spread across play areas.

Interference with boats tied up at the public pontoon and using the Hamble-Warsash ferry as a late-night toilet.

Graffiti scrawled across parish property.

Hamble parish clerk Kate Cullen told the Daily Echo: "It started off earlier in the year and just seemed to get totally out of control.

"We had meetings with the police and it quietened down for a while. However, since the end of August problems have surfaced again."

The clerk added: "We want to make it clear that, generally, the young people of this village are absolutely no problem, but there is just a mindless minority who want to spoil everything for everybody else."

The village authority has now informed local youth workers employed by Hampshire County Council's youth services department about the problems and issued a plea for help in combating the antisocial behaviour.

Meanwhile, councillors are looking at ways to improve surveillance and security at parish-owned facilities.

Mike Lindsell, proprietor of the Hamble-Warsash Ferry, said: "I want to see these people caught. It is getting to the stage where it is affecting my business."

The ferry company also provides moorings plus scrubbing and cleaning facilities, but Mr Lindsell said: "One of my regular customers is not going to have his boat lifted out because he is worried that it will be vandalised."

The ferry chief said that river taxi craft had been used as a toilet and the ferryman now kept a supply of rubber gloves and disinfectant to hand. He added: "I am also going down the road of investing in video cameras to secure our boat compound."