As 2022 began the sight of groups of youths in dark clothing with their faces covered plagued Huyton Village.
Business owners saw their shop windows smashed and after the financial misery of the pandemic, some feared unruly groups of young people were keeping footfall low. In the words of a senior police officer, the end of 2021 had seen reports of anti-social behaviour in Huyton Village reach "crisis point". Things had to be done differently, and there were no quick fixes.
Turgut Olgun, owner of the El Pueblo tapas, Solasta steak house and Eton Place restaurants on Derby Road, described the issues facing business owners in the area at the beginning of this year. He said: "It was a big issue, the children gathering around here, at some stages it was a big problem.
