ELDERLY residents bridged the age gap with youngsters to discuss the future of a skate park.

Pensioners from Kings Lodge, a residential home opposite the skate park in King George V Road in Amersham, met with Amersham's youth council last Wednesday.

The pensioners recently signed a petition to close the park after complaining that there has been late night noise and vandalism since it opened in 1999.

Paul Williams, from the youth centre in Chiltern Avenue, Amersham, where the groups met, said: "It was fine. It was a very successful meeting. The meeting was just a get-together of the young people and residents to share their experiences."

It was decided that the groups would work together after the youngsters who use the skate park said the problems were caused by teenagers who were not using the facilities.

Chiltern district councillor Mimi Harker (Con, Chesham Bois and Weedon Hill) said the council was trying sort out the problem for the elderly residents.

She said: "There are some very possible lines of action we are looking into.

"The youngsters that came to this meeting are not the same people (causing the problems) and that is the biggest issue. It is a minority from somewhere else."