Shocking video footage captured on a security camera shows children shooting fireworks from their hands at houses on a residential street.

A gang of youths march down a street in Middlesbrough as one lets off rockets, aiming them at properties.

The incident, last Friday at about 7pm, has caused deep concern in the community, and is said to be part of rising levels of antisocial behaviour in the area.

One resident said: “There was a group of them. One of them has a bag and they are pulling fireworks from it.

“You can see them pulling fireworks out and firing them at a house.

“When the fireworks were going off they were aiming them at people’s houses and one neighbour said they saw them looking and blasted them towards his window.”     

 The man said his family moved to Ruskin Avenue in the Acklam area because it was quiet.

He said: “This is not the sort of thing we want to have happening.

“In this community we are all friends with each other.

“We have got children that play out freely in the streets.

“There are always going to be concerns when there are these types of things happening. You don’t want your children getting caught up in them.

“It can be a bit of a scary situation.”

In the video the gang runs off when they are confronted by a resident.

The incident was reported to police who said two children have now been spoken to in front of their parents.

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A spokesman for Cleveland Police said: “Police will always encourage people who may see incidents like this to contact us as soon as they are seen, so that we can act as quickly as possible.

“Aside from the obvious danger that these children have put themselves in, they also pose a risk to innocent members of the public and people’s property and are committing criminal offences.

“Recently there has been a slight increase in reports of crime and antisocial behaviour in the area primarily around Blue Bell Beck Park, and as a result neighbourhood officers have been carrying out patrols to provide a high visibility deterrent and reassurance to residents.

“Two children were taken home and were spoken to by police in front of their parents after reportedly being involved in incidents with fireworks.”