Ref. 75845-93A SHOPPING parade in Pinehurst is the latest area of town to be plagued by teenage thugs.

Clive Parade is a handy shopping area serving Penhill and Pinehurst, and is especially popular with elderly folk who can't get into the town centre.

But now many pensioners are too scared to shop there after dark because of intimidating louts who have became a regular presence.

Besides hurling abuse at shoppers, they have been attacking retail staff. And last week a Golf left in the car park was tipped on its side and had its windows smashed.

Now, the police are preparing to crack down on the troublemakers.

The KFC outlet is among the worst hit. Yobs demand free food and then abuse staff. Workers have also been attacked when their shift ends.

Several are Asian and have suffered racial taunts. One employee, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "People have been punched as they wait for the bus. And one member of staff was punched for not serving them free food.

"They also threw a firework into the staff toilet at the back of the building. They give the customers trouble, which puts some of them off coming here."

Youngsters also run into the Ladbrokes branch and swear at staff. Two windows have been smashed recently and a TV aerial vandalised.

Manager Carol Waugh said: "Sometimes there can be up to 15 of them out there. It can be scary when I'm locking the shop up at night they're very intimating. They often stand with their backs to the windows, banging against the glass."

Karl Wilkinson, a security guard who works at the Co-Op, pictured right, says most of the kids are fine there are just a few ringleaders who create problems.

"I speak to them, and they seem to respect me and stop whatever they are doing," he said.

A dispersal order covering Pinehurst expired at Christmas.

Now, police are hoping to impose a new, trimmed-down order only covering trouble hotspots in Clive Parade, the Circle, Claremont Court and the green near Hawthorn Avenue. Nearly 90 complaints of anti-social behaviour have either been reported to police or logged by residents between Christmas and January 19.

Community support officer Sarah Young has prepared a request for the new dispersal order, which would allow police to break up gangs. "Since the dispersal order was introduced in Pinehurst, problems have reduced dramatically in many areas. This new one will target areas where problems have increased. We are also targeting individuals."

Tamash Lal