POLICE have arrested three teenagers and a man on suspicion of having sex with girls as young as 12 by Newent lake.

Officers from the public protection unit launched a dawn raid in the town yesterday.

Two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old were arrested on suspicion of rape and a 22-year-old on suspicion of sexual activity with a child. All four are in police custody.

Members of the community had alerted the police to illegal activity by the lake – including school governor Andy Hayes, who welcomes a move to hold a public meeting on December 14 to air residents' concerns.

Expressing his anger at the growing unruliness of youngsters and blatant drug dealing in Newent, father-of-two Andy said: "I never envisaged this happening in the town where I have lived for the past 30 years."

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