After feeling really happy about the food sorted out (see myriad of posts on feeding) decided to take dogs out in the half hour of sun we had. There is a lovely field near by with a stream and the dogs love it. There is also a golf course just up above it and lots of trees. Well a few times I have noticed burnt out logs and empty beer cans by the stream and had to put a smouldering fire out once - this was at 6 in the morning.

Well today I thought I would cross over the stream and go through the trees as there is a nice long path that eventually leads to the road. Got there and there was a group of lads..............drinking heavily and burning another log. So I avoided them and went further up the field. Edddie promptly found something really interesting in the stream to dig and bark at and it took me ages to get him out. Once I did and started to head home, I saw even more lads with crates of beer. Came home and phoned the police.

Now I'm not sure if that was right, as the daughter of a friend often often stays out in places like that, drinking and sleeping there. Have I ruined some innocent fun? Did I do the right thing because of the log burning and the inevitable rubbish that would have been left? I never normally get involved in anything as I hate confrontation but these young people seem to do this all the time with no regard for their surroundings.

Any advice? I won't be going to that field on my own again unless hubby is with me as I don't feel safe any more. Still feel a bit shaky now...........it could have turned nasty..........teenagers/hormones/booze............not good........

Well think of it this way, what if a burning log started the whole woods off and you hadn't reported it - you'd really be feeling bad then ;)

Sometimes you just have to do what you feel is right ;) and well done you for not just saying "someone should do something about that" - and walking away

Know what you mean about the being alone and them being there etc.  sadly we get a lot of this round these parts too ( north gwent)  I haven't had a decent walk on the mountain on my own for years :(  it's just not safe to any more :(

You did the right thing ,the woods I use to walk my dogs were being ruined by youths doing the same .There is broken glass and destoyed young trees, children and animals were getting hurt .Now all of us call the police .What is it with breaking bottles ??

I'm interested to know what the police did when you phoned them? 

As a teenager I used to sit in the woods with my friends, we didn't burn fires and we never left any litter and we're all hyper environmentally aware now, I believe being in the countryside fuelled our drive to keep it.  However these teenagers don't sound at all respectful of the countryside and you did the right thing phoning the police. 

Last week I reported a young lad for breaking a beer bottle on the goalpost of our local park.  I was sooooo mad that I phoned the council. They sent someone down to the local High School and with the description I gave, the boy was talked to by the Headmaster and confirmed it was him.  The Council are serving him with a fixed penalty notice.  I don't particularly feel proud but hopefully he will think before he tries something like that again and maybe his friends will too.  Mind you, I'm now watching my back!

We had already decided as a group enough was enough and had a meeting with police. The boys and girls were also using woods to fight with youths from other areas so any time we saw groups of youths gathering in wood with intent to damage the woods or others we have the option to call police and the do attend even if it is only to move them on.

Hi

Yes I think you did the right thing in phoning the police. They can check it out and if it is innocent fun then that is up to them to decide and act accordingly. They may not of known of the site so could be usefull for them to keep a eye on.

Also a visit from the police may make the kids behave better knowing that they have the law watching them.

I wouldnt worry about it and I would avoid walking there alone.

Wendy

when my hubby was caretaker of a small primary school, we  where doing the rounds one night and merlin started barking and barking at a small fenced off area in the grounds, when we went to have a look there was a young girl there about 11 she was so drunk she could not stand, we phoned the police and said we have a young girl on the grounds really drunk can't stand send some one out, they did in about 5 mins blue flashing lights etc, the ambulance came and took her away, the next morning there was a knock on the door and a huge man was standing there he said he came to thank us for helping with his daughter, she had lied to him about being at a friends and he had been out since 8 oclock the other night looking for her, we found her at 11.30pm this was a cold winter night as well. he asked if i knew where they where getting the booze from and i showed him the bag i picked up at the scene it had empty bottles of vodka and cider in and there was also a till receipt, i told him i was handing it into the police but before i did i was going to the shop and tell them what was happening, he thanked me and off he went.
i went to the shop when it opened and asked who was on last night selling drink to minors and the lady in there said she was the manageress and was on last night and she would never sell to minors with that i put the bag on the counter and said look in there and showed her the receipt, i am off to the police with this now and i will make it known that you are selling booze to youngsters and this is not the first time we have had to chase kids off the school grounds with your booze bags , i mean you could not miss the bags had the name of the shop plastered all over them, the police said they could do nothing about the booze in the bag unless we found the booze on the children themselves, so for 5 days everytime we found a bag on the field with booze in and empty bottles i picked them up and took them around to the shop and gave them to the manageress, we even got in touch with the local paper and the young girl we picked up off the field her father gave an interview and she told the paper where she got the booze from this shop, shortly afterwards after much badgering by parents the shop closed down, and we did not have any more incidents of young children being drunk.
I don't mind children or teenagers being noisy or having a good time, i have watched them in the park playing footie, or sack racing, or rounders even just sitting and talking and playing music, but i don't think they know the dangers involved when they are young,and drink is involved i mean we all thought we where invincible when we where younger and many of us did things we are not proud of, but i dread to think what would of happened if we had not gone around the school to check everything was locked up, that young girl could of died.
carol

i'd have done the same thing. We sometimes get young uns drinking by the beck that runs at the bottom of a valley near me. They had an innocent fire which ended up spreading and burnt almost one whole side of the valley.

It saddnes me to hear some of you saying you dont take your dogs here or there anymore,or you wont go there by yourself.Why are you letting total strangers dictate your right to walk your dogs where-ever you want?

I've lost count of how many times i've been flashed down at the river where i walk my dogs,i think it's around 11 times now There's always a group of ratbags hanging around,a few choice words in return to their smart arse comments soon shut them up!But i refuse to let them stop me walking my dogs at the places that they love going to.I will NOT give them the satisfaction or power of dictating to me on where i walk my dogs.

I have to walk them by myself as i have no-one else to go with,there are times when i have to go in the dark and i do sh*t myself,but my dogs need walking and i dont have a choice but to take them as just one walk in the morning just isnt enough.

You're obviously braver than some of us Ktee :).  Maybe I shouldn't suggest that the flashers might think you actually want to be flashed at if you keep returning? :( 

I suppose it's because we want walking the dog(s) to be a pleasant happy experience if at all possible so both from that point of view and personal safety, it usually feels better to find somewhere else to walk.  Of course that only works if you have several alternative walks available.

> Maybe I shouldn't suggest that the flashers might think you actually want to be flashed at if you keep returning?<

Nah i dont think so ;) The first couple of times i was in shock and walked on and ignored them,but after that anger set in,so with the third one and those thereafter i stopped and yelled at them to F off and just went off until they pulled their pants up and ran away which was always a matter of seconds,so i'm afraid i wouldnt be much fun for them,it's the shock of the woman that gets them off,confronting them would really throw them off..They are always on the other side of the river,gutless gits that they are!Once my mum was with me when it happened and she gave chase running across a near by bridge,LOL,never caught him tho.I dont think i would be quite so brave if they were on my side,if that were the case i definately would stop going! It hasnt happened for around 8mths now,which myself and the many other poor women its happened to are obviously relieved about. It's not as iff the flashings happened at the same spot everytime either. Last i heard they arrested someone,but i'm sure there was more than one.

Emma i rang the police on two seperate occasions.The first time it took them 1/2 hour to get there and he was long gone.The second time the cop said,and i quote "Aww poor fella,obviously got mental problems".Needless to say he wasnt much help at all.

Dear Kate, I'm worried about you.  If you're getting problems like you've sadly been getting on your walks you should be so careful.  If you're getting early warnings like this please don't ignore them as you'd feel so angry with yourself if you suffered an attack and had ignored all the warning signals before.  I'm such a believer in trusting your instincts and paying attention to these little warning signals.  Have you told the police about being flashed?  It is a known precursor to rape, rare it's true but it does happen.  Please look after yourself and be safe.  Maybe you've got big protective dogs - take care of each other.

hahahha you just reminded of my one and only flasher,I think I was thirteen years old,and I was walking the family border collie(shep)this man came out from behind trees,and lifted his shirt,to which the collie just leapt and bit him right in the nether regions,I have never heard a man scream sooo much like a woman in all my life,I ran home and told my dad,to which he promptly went and beat the living poop out of the man,as he was still in the woods nursing his,uuum wounds,chuckle
we have problems with youngsters on mopeds going in and out of our park all day,and as we back onto the park in question,it is driving us bonkers,they also quite like to drive them straight inot our hedge,smashing it to pieces,so as we are not allowed to put barbed wire or anything up,we uum did something really mucky,and put dog poo just out of site,roughly chest height,in the hedge itself,and well, its had the desired effect and we have had no probs with their jumping nor riding moped into our hedge for nearly four months now,teehee,
Wendy

I agree with ALL the other posters that you did the right thing, and anonymously too, to protect yourself.  There is a small community park in a bushy area right behind our house and on warm summer nights local teenagers gather there to drink, smoke and toke up.  Some aren't even teens yet.  I've told many a neighbour I don't need to buy marijuana, I can just stand at the back of my yard and inhale.  Of all the neighbours I've said this to in 25 years only one has asked me if it's her kids and told me to let her know if I see any of hers doing that.  All the others think their little darlings can do no wrong and it must be someone else's kids.  With such naive, uninvolved parents it is no wonder some kids take advantage of them and go wrong.

Thanks all - sorry I didn't reply earlier, was busy doing my garden.

The police never got back to me (not really surprised) but I did hear sirens about 10mins after I phoned them.

As for continuing that particular walk, I don't think so. My safety and the dogs safety comes first and with that amount of youths about we'd be outnumbered. We went back to our old field yesterday and I felt much safer there.

Thanks for all your replies, it means a lot.

Karen