Workington mayor Carole Armstrong said Allerdale council should pay for gates for town back lanes where gang crimes have proved difficult to tackle.

An emergency meeting was called last month following a rise in crime in the back lanes off Murray Road with reports by shopkeepers of windows being smashed, needles being found and graffiti daubed on walls.

A proposal to install gates at each ends of lanes - next to Subway and Argos - was brought to the town council's environment committee meeting on Tuesday.

Coun Armstrong said: "Allerdale should stop passing the buck. They should pay for it. I'm in sympathy with the shopkeepers, but it's Allerdale's responsibility.

"Those causing trouble are young adults and in six weeks' time the gates will be ripped off."

Chairman Denise Rollo, who attended the emergency meeting with PC Lorraine Murphy, of the problem solving team, Sergeant Joe Stamper, Inspector Gary Hunter and Toni Magean, town centre manager, said: "The rise in gang culture in Workington has hit the town centre really hard. 

"They are congregating in the town centre and you see the graffiti tags, because they think it's their patch.

"This has been going on for a good 12 months. The shops have had enough of it, they had to pay for new windows and tidy up.

"PC Murphy came to the meeting with a big log of crimes, they try to do community engagement activities with Inspira, but these people won't engage.

"There's evidence of drug use. Argos has complained as well., one of their delivery drivers was hit with a plank of wood."

Coun Peter McHarry said he was concerned that installing gates would only make the youngsters move to another area of the town.

He added: "We're looking at a long-term solution, but there's nothing stopping them being there now. There should be one sting operation."

The estimated cost of the gates is of £5,000.

The committee agreed to speak to Allerdale council and suggest to split the cost between the two authorities, but the town council is not willing to take responsibility for the maintenance of the gates.