Orton youngsters have congregated at the Lady Lodge Arts Centre, which has swiftly becoming a crime hotspot.

The site suffers from a lack of security, including no CCTV provision, and following the torching of The Barn last February, the centre has begun to take on a derelict and unloved appearance.

Neighbourhood Policing Police Community Support Officer Amanda Butler said boredom in youngsters starved of things to do often led to criminal behaviour, which often starts with a few smashed windows, but can lead to an escalation in crime.

PCSO Butler said: "We have had a lot of problems with criminal damage. In recent weeks, we have had reports of youths ripping off tiles and throwing them off the roof. Kids have kicked doors in, along with smashing windows. At the moment, the centre is being hit all the time, and we are working to solve this, but there is not a lot we can do without extra security."

Yobs looking for the latest thrill have also been risking life and limb by climbing trees, snapping branches in their wake, in a bid to get up on the roof of the centre.

Police captured six youths on the roof last month and took them home to their parents, along with warning letters, in an attempt to shame them into stopping their behaviour.

PCSO Butler believes the centre could be turned around by transforming parts of it into a youth club. She said: "We have a club on a Thursday at the Contact Centre in Orton, but a facility like this would be ideal, as it has different rooms for the kids to hang out in an.

"It is a fact that bored youths don't have enough to do in the area. We had the same problem 10 years ago, and we could still have the same problem in 10 years' time if we don't act soon."

Related: Future of Orton arts centre in doubt after crime spree
A business owner in Peterborough has declared enough is enough after being hit by a spate of burglaries and vandalism in Orton Goldhay. 23 July 2008.