WHY, when new sites are being built, are there never any facilities for teenagers?

People complain about under-age drinking, crime, drug abuse and kids hanging on street corners, but do you ever wonder why they do this? Because nobody seems to give a damn.

We need more centres and youth clubs so kids are not bored and have somewhere to go, to help keep them out of trouble.

When I was a kid, we had a number of youth clubs and discos to go to where we could meet our mates, were not in trouble, and were safe.

I know these places can bring trouble, but the majority of children are great kids and we need to stop treating them as nuisances and burdens, because they will react to this in a negative way.

Adults have pubs and clubs where they drink, cause trouble, have fights and all the rest, yet they don't get closed down. But could you imagine what society would be like if they did?

Children are human beings, and have needs and want to be valued and respected just like the rest of us, but it works both ways.

It's about time we put teenagers back on the map, and gave them a chance, because if we don't change our views towards them, and tackle these issues from an early age, in years to come things will be a lot worse.

Children are our future, and if we concentrate a bit more on them now, when they get older they won't be as much trouble and will feel a lot better about themselves.

Most people are born good, it's our society that creates changes in them.

We can help to stop this.

J Doswell, Langholme Drive, Boroughbridge Road, York.