A POLICE chief and councillor have clashed over claims that anti-social behaviour in a village on York’s outskirts is partly down to a withdrawal of visible policing.

Osbaldwick councillor Mark Warters said teenagers had been gathering on Osbaldwick Sportsfield, to the rear of properties on The Leyes, causing disturbance to residents and a nuisance to the club.

He said in an email to York police inspector Lee Pointon: “I am particularly annoyed that having spent a lot of time securing funding for the club to facilitate various improvements in maintenance of the sportsfield, we are now once again seeing gatherings of kids littering, drinking and, as has been reported, even having a barbecue on the football pitches.”

He also claimed: “Once again the implications of the withdrawal of a visible presence on the streets of Osbaldwick are being felt.” He called for regular patrols in Osbaldwick including the sportsfield to stop the ASB. “I don’t just mean a one off - I am requesting regular patrols. This can not go on any longer.”

But Insp Pointon denied there had been any withdrawal of a visible police presence,saying: “My team patrol around Osbaldwick, whether you accept that or not is up to yourself but if you follow us on social media you will see how often we are in the village.

“Again as difficult as this may be for you to accept, Osbaldwick is not a crime/ASB hot spot area.

“I have a limited number of resources at my disposal which I need to use to the best of my ability to meet the needs of all my communities. I am always happy to discuss with communities how this can be achieved but to state to as many people as you have, including local media, that we don’t police your village is rather offensive and inaccurate.”

He said he would raise the profile of the sports club with his team, and added: “Whilst I believe we both want the same thing to protect and reassure our communities, there is only so much I can do and the community and representatives of the community need to work with me.”