Ping Pong Parlour opens in Peterborough's Queensgate Shopping Centre

A new initiative has been launched at Peterborough’s Queensgate Shopping Centre to tackle anti-social behaviour among youngsters.

A Ping Pong Parlour has opened on the ground floor of the centre and follows a ‘listening campaign’ by centre bosses to find out what young people want from the centre.

The final touches are still being put to the new facility, which features a number of table tennis tables plus a TikTok backdrop for selfies and dance routine settings and extra phone charging facilities.

The centre has been housed in an empty retail unit.

Plans for the Parlour were first unveiled in July and it had been hoped to open last month but work has taken longer than expected.

Earlier this year, the Queensgate managers undertook a two month Respect Your Place campaign asking young people what was missing from the centre and what they would like to see.

The main request that came through was for more leisure activities plus calls for later opening hours, more phone charging facilities, free parking, more sports stores like Nike and more security.

The ‘Respect Your Place’ campaign was put together by the centre with support from Cambridgeshire police, the Business Improvement District team and Peterborough City Council.

Catherine Lambert, the centre director, has previously said: "The campaign is a strong start to building a better and more positive environment for all.

Last month, the centre unveiled plans to install more secure sliding doors at some entrances after complaints about anti-social gatherings.