Sir.-I read with interest Daniel Burrowes' letter in last Friday's Gazette.

I think Daniel has shown great initiative in writing this letter and raising awareness of the problem, bringing the voice and thoughts of the youth of Hatch Warren into the public domain.

As he points out, there is nowhere for him and his friends to hang out. The cancellation of the sports barn and the skate park add to this problem.

Unfortunately, there is a minority of youths in the area who think that vandalism and intimidation is therefore a viable option to entertain themselves.

The Hatch Warren Community Association is looking to cater for the youths of the area but we need their feedback to ensure that what we try to organise is something they will use.

I would like to invite Daniel and all other youths of Hatch Warren to contact us to discuss what activities, entertainment or facilities they would like to see in the area. We can't promise to cater for their every need, but we want to work with them to do something!

Letters can be sent to Hatch Warren Community Association, Longcross Lane, Hatch Warren, Basingstoke, RG22 4QF or e-mail mail@hatchwaren.com

-Mark Every, Chairman, Hatch Warren Community Association.

Sir.-I was very interested to read the youngsters' comments last week - mainly "nothing to do" etc, and "the police should educate the adults".

We were all young once and many of us, in those youthful days, had very little, if anything, to assist our social times. We had no TV, no video games and the like, but we accepted life and got on with it.

The tax-paying adult, with families or not, should not be held to a form of blackmail ransom just because you are all bored with your lot in life.

If the Brighton Hill youngsters are that fed-up, I suggest they get together and clean this once-clean area of all the graffiti and litter it has acquired, and prove they wish to live in a clean and decent society. Perhaps then the authorities and tax-paying adults would take a better view of their loitering presence, minus the shouting and bad language, of course.

To those who hang around complaining, I say: "Get a life and stop moaning about what you haven't got. After all, you haven't earned it yet."

-H Riley, Brighton Hill resident.

Sir.-There has been a history of youths, past and present, hanging around shopping parades such as Winklebury Centre, Sainsbury's and Robert Greig's in Brighton Hill, and now at Sainsbury's and Asda.

The excuse has always been - and as stated in last week's letters - along the lines that there is nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Within Basingstoke, we have two 10-screen cinemas, a sports centre, another modern swimming facility, bowling alley and athletics track, to name but a few. We also have a thriving shopping location such as Festival Place.

Obviously it would be impractical and expensive to have a facility on every estate. However, all of these attractions are accessible by car, bus, taxi or pedestrian routes.

When I was at school, there was just a Westfield Lido and a two-screen cinema in town, so how things have changed.

Yes, a sports barn or meeting hall would be ideal for teenagers to meet. However, one can see how The Dome is treated, with graffiti over its doors and walls.

I also work for one of the aforementioned supermarkets and, as a member of staff, see a minority of children and youths hanging around outside the premises.

It may be the case that they are not causing any trouble. However, the minority stand in the way of customers coming in and out of the store, climb and walk over parked shopping trolleys, overturn litter bins and, when asked to move on by staff, swear, verbally abuse and threaten them.

There have been instances of eggs being thrown against the building and fireworks let off outside. We are powerless to stop this happening.

How would members of the public feel if youths, numbering up to nine or 10, congregated outside their house? Would you leave them alone, feeling sorry that there is nothing for them to do, ask them to disperse while fearful of retaliation, or call the police?

If bored, do youths really need to be out on the streets? Why hang around shops because there is nothing else better to do?

-Basingstoke resident, Name and address withheld.