Michael Garcia, of Ripon Way, Park South, beside the vandalised tree VANDALS have wrecked trees and vandalised a bus stop in a quiet residential street.

And now residents say they are tired of the gang of yobs who are terrorising the area around Cranmore Avenue, in Park South.

In the latest incident a sapling planted on a green opposite Ripon Way was ripped in half and the glass in a bus stop in Cranmore Avenue was smashed.

Michael Garcia, who works for Royal Mail, lives nearby with his wife Eva and children Lawrence, 12, Cyril, ten, Leanne, eight and Michael-John, eight months.

He said: "We saw them out there on Sunday playing football and using the tree as a goal post.

"Afterwards one of them was hanging from the branches until they snapped.

"Eventually the whole tree snapped in half.

"It was not an accident they definitely did it on purpose.

"Most nights they are out there causing trouble.

"I work nights and when I come home in the mornings they are often vandalising the bus stop climbing on top of it and banging on the glass.

"They ride motorbikes on the grass at night which makes a lot of noise and they've thrown eggs at my house."

He estimates that there are about 12 youths in the gang and that they are aged from 14 upwards and do not live locally.

Michael's children used to play out on the green where the gang congregates, but he says they are too scared to do so now.

"They used to always go out there to play with the other local children," he said.

"But they feel quite intimidated by these older children.

"Now they just play in our back garden instead.

"It's not fair that they are being pushed out from where they used to play by these older children."

Another resident who lives opposite the green, and did not want to be named, said: "I think this is absolutely disgraceful.

"I've lived here for five years now and there's never been anything like what we've had recently.

"It's a lovely big green we've got but it's just being ruined by these kids.

"And we are probably going to have to pay for the damage out of our council tax which is infuriating.

"It's not just that they vandalise the place, but they also make an awful lot of noise at night sitting there drinking and generally being anti-social.

"It would help if there was more for them to do, such as youth clubs."

A police spokeswoman said any complaints about the vandalism and noise would be investigated.

Diana Milne