A lack of free activities for young people in Ossett is a "key issue" amid reports of anti-social behaviour in the town, a meeting heard.

A Police and Communities Together meeting was told there isn't a youth club in Ossett and Dewsbury Leisure Centre closed three years ago.

A number of residents raised concerns at the meeting at NewSpring Church on October 20 about ongoing anti-social behaviour involving youths in and around Ossett town centre.

Wakefield West Neighbourhood Policing Team sergeant Jayne West told the meeting: "There's also nowhere else for them to congregate and we know this is a problem."

"We did try a few years ago to get shelters put in the parks. We have spoken to some younger youths today and they said they would hang around in the skate park but it's run down.

A resident said: "Round here there's not really a youth centre.. there's not much that's free."

Sgt West said: "That is a key issue for Ossett, your sports centres, your nearest one is Dewsbury and I believe it's closed down. Everything is closing down. If you want your children to go into some form of after school group or football, rugby, it's all to be paid for, there's absolutely nothing that I'm aware of."

"We do have a major problem of lack of things for young people to do so that's why they congregate in the town centre."

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Police told the meeting that an early action team works with children under 18 as an alternative to arrest.

Sgt West said: "Our early action team are police officers but they work in schools. They work with these children and they also work with the parents."

Police Constable Rachel Soeder said: "The solution is not to go and arrest and criminalise kids because then they fall into patterns of criminal behaviour.

"The key is early intervention, setting up places where they can go where they are safe. Some of these children don't have the best home lives. Criminalising them is not the way forward."

Coun David Hunter (Reform/Ossett), said: "As part of the Spring Mill development we did mention putting in a bike park..we do have £400,000 to invest from the council in that area. I do know it is something we have got in mind going forward."

John Walker, business manager of Horbury Youth Project, told the meeting about the charity's work.

He said young people appreciate the informal nature at the project.

Mr Walker said: "It's hard work, we have got committed volunteers... All I'm trying to say is you talk to them and say do you fancy going to Guides, Scouts or all these other formal groups, they say I don't want to do that. I want something where I can be with my friends and chill out... I don't think there's anything like that in Ossett."