Mosquito Annoyance

The "mosquito box", a £550 unit that emits a sound only people under 25 can hear has come under immense criticism from human rights and children's campaigners. The boxes have been installed by councils across the UK to disperse youths to combat anti social behaviour.

Here in Preston, the council initially brought in the boxes in 2006, but in May last year, a council meeting ended in confusion, reported the LEP:

At the end of the debate, Jim Carr, the council's chief executive, told baffled councillors: "The council now does not have a position statement on Mosquito devices."

Labour councillors who described the boxes as "like something out of Doctor Who" did not get their way and as far as I know, boxes are still installed around Preston, not that i've noticed.

It's all well and good for councils to do something about a real problem such as this, but they seem to be taking it a step too far. The boxes can't choose who they emit a sound to and it affects EVERYONE under the age of 25, making standing in a place which is perfectly legal unbearable.

I think it is right that new criticism is being brought against the boxes and I see the units as a sloppy attempt to combat anti social behaviour. Maybe filling boxes with real mosquitos, dispersing them at groups of kids and only giving the repellant to those not causing trouble would work. Or not.