A CONTROVERSIAL school which residents blame for an increase in antisocial behaviour looks set to stay put – despite promises to move it.

Police have received complaints of youngsters throwing stones at vehicles, shouting abuse at passers-by and running over parked vehicles after the Continuum School opened in Vanderwalt Avenue, Canvey, last September.

Residents say trouble stemming from the school has calmed down since, but they still want it moved out of the quiet residential street.

Essex County Council, which contracts Continuum to provide education for young people with behavioural problems, still insists the location is only temporary.

But Continuum’s head of education Linda Moss says they have nowhere else to go and the school is preparing for a new intake in September.

She said: “In an ideal world we’d love to move to much bigger premises where we can let the kids out to let off steam. If we could find anywhere else we would go.

“If anyone knows of a big house on Canvey, in its own grounds, where we could get planning permission, let us know.

“We didn’t come here to be bloody-minded and wind everyone up.

“Unfortunately people see some of the behaviour, but they don’t see all the good things going on at the school.”

The school opened in an old doctor’s surgery so did not need planning permission.

Since the start of the year, the school has been working to try to improve relationships with the community.

The youngsters painted plant pots and gave them out to neighbouring residents and nearby chemist’s Pharmacare.

Mrs Moss added the biggest problem with neighbours now was parking.