December 29, 2011
LONDON (AFP) - It may not be the most conventional way of tackling crime, but an English city council has claimed success after using pig dung to eject teenagers from a woodland they used to drink and take drugs.
Elderly residents of Middlesbrough, northeast England, had complained to the that young people were smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol in a woodland area near the Coulby Newham housing estate.
In response, officials thinned out the trees so the area was more visible from paths and then spread a thick layer of pig manure on the ground -- which has proved highly effective in deterring wayward teens.
"Following complaints, an inspection of the area revealed it was being used to drink alcohol and take drugs, as paraphernalia known as bongs (used to smoke cannabis) were found," said a spokesman for Middlesbrough Council.
"Feedback from the residents indicated that, although there was a slight whiff in Willowbank, they would much rather have a pong than a bong."
