PEOPLE living near a Melksham cemetery are being terrorised by gangs of drug-taking youths hanging around into the early hours of the morning.

The cemetery, behind St Michael and All Angels Church, Church Street, has become a magnet for yobs who are drinking, taking drugs and vandalising property.

Nurse Beverley Gater, who lives nearby, said the youngsters have been regularly waking her up in the middle of the night for the past year.

She said: "There are a lot of kids out there hanging around. They throw bottles at the car, they have urinated over the car and this happens every weekend.

"I don't know if they are doing drugs but I have seen a motorbike come up here and there are a lot of kids around it and then it drives off again."

An 80-year-old woman, who asked not to be named, said the youths leave the town centre after the pubs close and move down to the cemetery area.

She has seen groups of young people in the cemetery, damaging gravestones and pulling up plants in the conservation area.

She said: "We have had so much trouble over the past year and we have been very upset by it because it is a lovely place to live, except at weekends."

The police have been monitoring the area and have launched a drugs and alcohol crackdown.

On June 19 three youths were arrested in the cemetery on suspicion of drug-related crimes and were later released following a police caution.

PC Oliver Rudland of Melksham police said: "This was following a heightened crackdown by area officers following recent problems caused by youths misusing the church yard for drinking and drugs.

"This is causing a lot of unrest for the local community in an area of great personal significance to the Melksham population.

"Police will continue to patrol the area regularly and will continue to crack down on offenders found in the area, so be warned."

It is not the first time in recent years the area has been targeted by youngsters.

There have also been problems in recent months with underage drinking, vandalism and intimidation of passers-by in the town centre.