In an ongoing debate on the town's popular community forum website - www.st-neots.co.uk - several members have claimed the bollards have simply moved the groups of young people previously gathering at Riverside to other car parks.

However, the police, town councillors and the district council say they have not heard any negative reports about the new measures which were installed to deter late-night anti-social behaviour by not allowing cars to exit or enter after midnight.

The initial post on the forum states that although the bollards work, the problems have just moved to the bowling club car park, Rainbow car park and the small car park by the skate park.

It also claims boy racers are just driving around the town with nowhere to go, and that it would have been better to allow them to stay at the less residential Riverside car park.

However a police spokeswoman said: "Officers aren't aware of any problems being moved to other areas.

"Officers will be canvassing the opinions of residents who live near the Riverside car park to help inform the next panel meeting."

Huntingdonshire District Council installed the electronically-operated barriers several months ago and they were switched on in May this year.
Residents of St Neots and visitors to the town are able to access the free car park every day from 6am until midnight.

Anti-social behaviour caseworker for Huntingdonshire District Council Tracey Guinea said: "I've not heard that it's moved on to elsewhere, but when you do these things there is always the issue of displacement.

"You see a lot of young people in vehicles and they are going to gather somewhere. It's just a matter of managing that and making sure they go to areas where they don't disturb people. You can't stop people meeting up, it's how they go about it."

If someone with a genuine reason is caught out by having their car in the car park after midnight, they can press a button and speak to staff at the 24-hour control centre who can lower the bollards.

If the control centre suspects vehicles are there to cause anti-social behaviour or are concerned about car crime, they can prevent vehicles from exiting the car park until 6am.

Eaton Ford town councillor Jennifer Bird, who lives in The Paddock alongside the park, said: "It's early days. The police have to deal with the problems where they are, and the solution at Riverside is not the necessary solution elsewhere.

"But I don't see it as the Riverside solution is creating problems elsewhere."