TURK Street residents are preparing to hit back over the nuisance and vandalism caused by weekend revellers on their way, they believe to and from Minnesotas snooker and social club. They have endured broken windows and their properties being graffitied. They won't park in Turk Street overnight for fear of vandalism and, they say, the noise, rowdiness and foul language on club nights is "truly appalling". But East Hampshire District Council says the police have called Minnesotas' licence in for review and residents and traders in Turk Street are considering installing CCTV. Cafe owner Eileen Clancy has had seven windows smashed in nine months, three in the last three weeks. She has decided it would be cheaper to install CCTV to catch the vandals on camera. Both Maurice Howitt and Helen Elkins have had shop windows broken, the barber's window has been smashed, wing mirrors and windscreen wipers have been ripped off cars, and walls have been spray-painted. "Turk Street is becoming a joke," said Mrs Clancy. Many of the Turk Street traders who live above or next to their premises, dread Friday and Saturday nights. The young come in crowds at night after leaving pubs. Many are the worse for drink, reeling down the road between 10.30pm and midnight, on their way, it is believed, to the nightclub opposite Coors Brewers. Then, at about 3.30am, they all come back again, disturbing the peace and often leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Aware that the Minnesotas site has been sold to Aldi, for redevelopment as a supermarket, local residents are desperate for work to begin and for the club to close. While it is understood Aldi is preparing to put in for planning permission, there was no one available to comment at the time of going to press. However there are notices up on the Minnesota's site informing people of the decision to review the club licence and inviting public comment. The last day for comment to EHDC's principal licensing officer at Penns Place in Petersfield, is this Thursday (June 7) with the hearing scheduled for June 29. Minnesotas was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.
