A GROUP of people who have been under siege for nearly four years by a gang of youngsters, have been promised help.

Residents living in the Tyrrell Avenue area of Welling, have suffered abuse, graffiti and vandalism from a groups of youths, some as young as 10.

One resident has had her car vandalised eight times. Another couple had their garden wall demolished piece by piece.

Last week a large group of residents told Bexley councillors how they had appealed to the council and the police to help them, but nothing had been done.

One resident said the youngsters either buy or steal alcohol and gather in the area on Friday and Saturday nights drinking and causing trouble.

Sometimes they drive stolen cars around a nearby field before setting fire to them. They have also tried to set garden fences alight.

He said one boy, aged just 13, had been picked up by police in the area at 1.30am and returned to his parents, who were angry because the police had woken them up.

Some councillors blamed lack of numbers for the police's failure to take action. Others said it was bad parenting.

Council leader Cllr Chris Ball, who heads the community safety partnership promised immediate action to clean up graffiti in the area and to find out where the youngsters are getting their alcohol from. He also asked residents to consider gating-off the maze of alleyways in the area.

He said the partnership would speak to all the affected residents to find out exactly what they are afraid of, which would be followed by a "problem solving" meeting with police and other agencies.

"We will try to come up with short, medium and long-term plans to deal with the situation," he promised. "Then we will hold a public meeting. We need to work together quickly.

"We do not want people to feel at risk or that they are prisoners in their own homes."

The partnership will also look at using Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and even Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, as well as looking at tenancy agreements.

April 29, 2003 16:00