Call to act on thugs

12:11pm Tuesday 12th August 2003

RESIDENTS living on the Coldharbour Estate are calling for action to stop youths setting bins alight and beating up their children.

The council tenants complain nothing has been done to stop a group of about 10 teenagers from terrorising them over the past 18 months.

Alison Reilly, 33, of Woodcroft, said: “We’ve had bins set on fire, things thrown at our windows and all the tyres slashed on our car.

“Once a doused piece of paper was thrown through the door and set fire to the hallway carpet. It nearly burned my nine-month-old daughter.

“Whenever my 10-year-old son goes out he gets hit. Once he was hit with a plank of wood.

“I’m even considering taking the police or council to court because nothing is done.” Vanessa James, 36, also of Woodcroft, says she was woken up by people hammering on her door in the early hours of August 2 because her bin was ablaze and about to set her car on fire.

She added: “Children sit on the wall shouting late at night, waking us up with their mopeds and screeching round bends in cars.

“I’m worried someone’s house will get set alight from a bin fire and this time it could be fatal.” Eltham sector inspector Mick Hunt says disorder accounts for 95 per cent of his workload.

He added a three-day operation was successfully mounted to tackle anti-social behaviour in New Eltham, Footscray Road, Eltham High Street and Middle Park Avenue.

Inspector Hunt said: “Disorder problems are particularly aggravated during the holiday period because of the good weather, more yobs on the street and little attempts at parental supervision.

“Also, many officers who know the yobs are on annual leave.” Greenwich Council says housing officers visited residents following bin fires and are following up complaints of harassment reported by one family.

A spokesman said: “We have not received reports problems involving youths are widespread in this area but will investigate any other incidents reported to us.”

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