A FORMER Tidworth rectory taken over by a Christian care group in February as a centre for young homeless is causing major concern.

District councillor Peter Colling told a meeting of the parish council that large groups of young people had been congregating in St George Road while Mrs Jean Sawyer complained of the noise coming from the area around George House.

"Your concerns are well founded," said Sergeant Paul Oatway. "I have no problem with the ethos of this project but we were told that it would mostly be for local children with possibly a few from Devizes and certainly from within Wiltshire.

"Since then they haven't just moved the goalposts they have taken them down and put them at the other end of the pitch. "Since concerns were first raised at the residents' forum there has been an ongoing catalogue of drama and incidents in and around the building.

"The fabric of the building is already eroding, fence panels have been pulled down and skid marks left on the road through inappropriate driving.

"In the past seven days nearly all the incidents in Tidworth have emanated from that property or people connected with it."

"It is a deteriorating situation which cannot be allowed to continue," added Sgt Oatway.

When George House was opened it was planned to be home to five young people and has been leased by Alabare Christian Care from the Salisbury Diocese for five years. Alabare chief executive Andrew Lord, said: "We are investigating these incident which may have involved local youths.

"Our policy is that anybody in breach of house rules will receive the appropriate sanction which could lead to eviction. We are taking this matter very seriously."