Safety fears over boarded up pub

Teenagers have been warned they are risking arrest and their lives playing inside an abandoned pub.
Coun Andrea Kay at the Bourne PoacherCoun Andrea Kay at the Bourne Poacher
Coun Andrea Kay at the Bourne Poacher

The teens have been gathering at and breaking into Thornton’s Bourne Poacher pub which has been boarded up for more than a year.

And today, Coun Andrea Kay warned they face a criminal record if they are caught and could even be putting their lives at risk by going inside.

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Coun Kay says residents close to the derelict pub have also raised concerns about the number of youths gathering on the site.

And she is desperate for help to give the teenagers an alternative to playing in a potentially dangerous environment.

She said: “This has been a problem for some time now and I’ve got residents up in arms.

“There’s one elderly lady who has been made ill from worry.

“There’s others who don’t like to go out in the evenings because of what is happening around the pub.

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“Something needs to be done with it, but until it does we’ve got to make sure the young people are safe.”

The Bourne Poacher closed more than two years ago.

The pub building has been boarded up and the site fenced off, but young people are still finding ways to access the site.

And Coun Kay is concerned for their safety.

“I want to warn them what might happen if they go inside,” she said. “If they have an accident in there the paramedics aren’t going to be able to get to them.

“They could get very badly hurt.

“And they’ve got to remember that if the police catch them in there they are trespassing.

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“When I’ve spoken to them a few of the teenagers have said to me the police can’t do anything.

“But they can. They need to know trespass is a serious offence.

“I’m sure they don’t want to end up arrested and having it on their record.”

Coun Kay is hoping to see the pub sold and a long-term future for the site secured.

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But in the meantime she is hoping to find a way to keep young people away from the site.

She said: “I’d like to speak to Wyre about getting the use of nearby playing field and getting football on for them or something like that.

“There is nothing for these young people to do and we need to change that.

Police said they would be stepping up patrols and had contacted the owners of the site to increase security.

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PC Emma McClaren said: “We have had a number of calls from the public regarding youths gaining entry to the building and causing a nuisance.

“Local patrols are aware and have been paying attention to the area.

“I have liaised with Wyre Council who attended on Friday to assess the security of the building and they are now in the process of speaking with the owners in order to get it boarded properly.

“Hopefully this will help ease the problem for local residents as we know it has been a concern for them.”