AN ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour hotspot in Bargoed has been visited by a pair of politicians in an attempt to determine a solution to the problem.

Caerphilly AM Hefin David and his Parliamentary counterpart Wayne David - no relation - visited Morrison's in Bargoed following a series of reports of a spate of anti-social behaviour in the area.

Many of the problems have related to the underground car park, and some residents have said they are concerned the store - which they had campaigned for - could be forced to close as a result.

But Hefin David said he was reassured that the new store management are trying to deal with the problem.

“I’ve previously had problems trying to get the manager of the store to engage with the community," he said.

“However, since the end of last year, there is a new management team in place at Morrison’s Bargoed and they are taking these issues seriously.

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“They are working with the police, local council and elected representatives to resolve the problem.

“We will be holding further discussions with the store manager shortly about an action plan. The store also need to clarify which part of the land they own and which is council owned. Once that confusion has been resolved, further preventative measures can be taken.

“The issue of cleanliness of the site, including the steps into town also needs to be addressed. Residents in Bargoed have also shared ideas via my Facebook page and I will be communicating these to the police, council and store manager.”

Wayne David said: “A lot of people have complained about anti-social behaviour and vandalism at Morrison’s, Bargoed. Hefin and I have met with Morrison’s and had assurances from them that they are clamping down on this appalling behaviour and are working closely with the police. We will be monitoring the situation closely over the next few weeks.”

A spokeswoman for Morrison's said: "We are aware of instances of anti-social behaviour and continue to work closely with Hefin David, the council and local police to put measures in place to tackle it."

Police Sergeant Richard Tovey from the Bargoed Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “We have had reports of anti-social behaviour in the Morrison’s area of Bargoed and we have been working closely with the store over recent months to tackle this. Officers have met with the store manager to discuss the issues, and also what action officers have taken as well as the additional security measures the store could undertake.

“Following the meeting, extra security measures are being looked at which is positive. The local neighbourhood policing team regularly patrol the area, and any potentially disruptive young people have been moved on and anti-social behaviour referrals made. We are also reviewing CCTV to look at identifying those who have been causing anti-social behaviour in the area and we will continue to work with the store. If anyone sees anti-social behaviour taking place, please report it to us by calling 101 or you can send a direct message to our Gwent Police Facebook or Twitter pages.”