PARENTS are to get letters asking for help to stop their teenagers heading for Gourock’s Tower Hill to party.

Police and community wardens have stepped up patrols at weekends to deal with large groups of young people taking over the beauty spot and using it as an under-age drinking den.

But officers also plan to make parents aware of their children’s antics as part of a new crackdown. In the last days of the school summer holidays there were a number of hilltop parties arranged on social media.

Fed up residents reported up to 50 young people descending on Tower Hill and causing chaos en route.

Sergeant Laura Stewart, of Greenock police, said: “We are very aware of the youngsters going to Tower Hill. Many of them are just going up there to hang about with friends and not causing any damage.

“But there have been instances of under-age drinking and anti-social behaviour.

“We are concerned about the safety of young people in these situations. It is very isolated.

“We will be lettering parents and asking for their help with this. It is important that they know where their kids are.” Sergeant Stewart is also working with wardens and the council to set up diversionary projects for the young people.

She explained: “We have been putting in a lot of hard work in the community. As a result, residents and councillors have been coming to us. So we are aware of the problems at Tower Hill.

“Last weekend we arranged for an increase in patrols to address this. From speaking to young people we were also aware that there were parties arranged on social media.” One concerned elderly resident from Fletcher Avenue said: “We have had around 50 young people passing our house and heading for Tower Hill. My door was chapped at 11pm and I got a terrible fright. I thought something was wrong.

“They have also been trampling on my garden.” Inverclyde Council is set to open up a new iYouth Zone in Gourock later this month and it’s hoped they can convince young people to spend time there instead of causing problems at Tower Hill.

A council spokesman said: “We are working closely with community wardens and Police Scotland on this issue.

“We have the safety of the young people and the wider community very much at heart.

“We are currently considering a number of other initiatives — not least the opening of the new iYouth Zone in Gourock later this month — to offer young people a more productive and sociable way to spend their spare time.

“In the meantime, we appeal to parents to know where their children are at all times, what they are doing and who they are with.”