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Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 22:38
A controversial device designed to disperse gangs of yobs by emitting a high-pitched sound could be installed at a school playing field.
Fairfield School in Horfield wants a Mosquito security device to stop intruders breaking on to its sports pitches during evenings, weekends and school holidays.
The school has applied to install the ultrasonic deterrent system, which emits an irritating sound that can only be heard by those under 25, after repeated break-ins at the Muller Road site. Groups of up to 100 people have trespassed on the pitches and vandals have broken the perimeter fence and goal posts and ridden bikes on the artificial pitches.
But one resident says installing the Mosquito would be heavy-handed way of keeping the teenagers out.
Faye Galvin, who lives in Elmcroft Crescent, says the sound emitted by the device might be picked up by her two young children. She walks her children past the pitches on the path which links Muller Road and St Werburgh's.
Mrs Galvin, 34, a housing society communications manager, says the noise from the device might also be heard by residents and other young people who have done nothing wrong.
She said: "If the idea is to stop kids going on there, they need to improve the fence.
"They already have CCTV there – why can't they use the cameras to catch whoever is responsible?
"I realise they need to look after the pitches but the Mosquito could affect my children and other people nearby because these things have a range of 20 metres.
"They say over-25s can't hear them – but what about babies and animals?"
Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: "This seems to be an over-reaction on a grand scale.
"All they have there at the moment is a chain link fence, which has been damaged since August and they've not bothered to repair it. We want to know what the Mosquito will cost and what it would cost to buy a new fence."
If the plans are given the go ahead, devices would be mounted on 24 steel columns standing 4.5m tall (about 15ft) around the complex, which includes one large pitch for football, hockey and cricket, a sprinting track, three five-a-side football pitches, and cricket nets.
The council has already spent £40,000 repairing damage caused to the Fairfield School pitches and says a £27,000 CCTV system in operation there has not been an effective deterrent.
The pitches were opened in April last year and made available to the public to hire out after school hours.
The council says the intruders have prevented people who have paid to hire the pitches from using them. If fitted, the devices will be kept under review.
Mosquito's manufacturer says the device, launched in the UK in 2006, is a simple, safe way to disperse groups of troublesome teenagers. It says the sound becomes annoying to teenagers after about five minutes.
But earlier this year, the Government-appointed Children's Commissioner said he wanted it banned.
In the Bristol area, Mosquito devices have been used at the Spar shop in Filton Avenue, Horfield, and at shops in Crow Lane, Henbury, in Hartcliffe, Dursley and Wotton-under-Edge.
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