‘YOBS’ who loiter in Wellington’s parish church have been repeatedly told to ‘shoo off’ by police.

Responding to concerns raised by town councillors, police sergeant Jon O’Connor said officers had on a number of occasions moved on loiterers from the site.

Speaking at a meeting of Wellington Town Council held on Monday, March 8, he said: “It’s a nice hidey-hole for people, but we shoo them off when we see them.

“We will help in every way we can.”

Members of the congregation at St John the Baptist Church have even removed benches from the yard in efforts to deter rowdy youngsters from loitering on church grounds.

Sgt Jon O’Connor said it was a “sign of times” that church officials had been forced to remove the benches.

It comes after the churches’ reverend branded the youngsters, who he accused of leaving human excrement in the churchyard, of being ‘profoundly disrespectful’ and threatened to ‘take things further.’