The sunken garden at the top of Smith Street has been refurbished and now features a sign which it is hoped will calm the behaviour of teenagers who congregate there. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0871779)

MOST Guernsey youngsters do act responsibly, according to the Environment minister.

Deputy Peter Sirett was speaking the day after the sunken gardens at the top of Smith Street reopened following extensive refurbishment after misuse by teenagers.

‘I have faith in the youngsters of this island,’ he said.

‘A few bad apples will spoil the barrel but youngsters, in the main, are responsible and if people engage them and they’re given an understanding of the issues, they’re more likely to listen.’

On behalf of Environment, States Works staff laid new turf and planted new shrubs.

PC Rob Dover, Guernsey Police’s permanent beat officer for Town, hoped the publicity surrounding the garden would give youngsters who gathered there a sense of ownership.

‘We’re not telling them that they can’t go there, but just asking them to respect it when they do,’ he said.

‘It’s always been a meeting point for youngsters and sometimes, when you get a group of people, they don’t realise the noise they’re making, and the state it was in was unacceptable.

‘Hopefully now we can work with them and it won’t get into that state again.’