18 December 2009
BBC Website, UK
Mosquito upsets young travellers
A controversial device has been turned off at a Devon railway station, after complaints from school children.
Pupils catching trains from Teignmouth were subjected to a high-pitched noise from a Mosquito device, installed to try to reduce anti-social behaviour.
First Great Western has apologised and said it will not activate the device when passengers are travelling.
The company said it would continue to use it late at night, when the station was most at risk from vandalism.
The device emits a high-frequency sound which is normally audible to people under the age of 25.
The "youth crowd dispersal device" had previously been switched on all day, until pupils complained.
Dominic Falco from Teignmouth said the Mosquito was affecting some students very badly.
"Trying to study for exams with a splitting migraine is no joke," the 18-year-old student said.
"It doesn't make sense to attack children going to and from school."
First Great Western spokeswoman Cath Millman admitted that legitimate travellers should not have been subjected to the constant noise.
"We put a stop to it as soon as we found out about it," she said.
Since it was installed about 18 months ago, Ms Millman said there had been a big reduction in graffiti and crime at the station.
She said it was a really useful device, which properly used, would benefit everyone.
"It makes the station a nicer place to be," she added.
Teenagers suffer "migraine" from Mosquito on way t
-
HFN
- Berichten: 5
- Lid geworden op: 01-11-2014 23:47
-
HFN
- Berichten: 5
- Lid geworden op: 01-11-2014 23:47