ANGRY residents told Darlington police it was impossible to get through to them by telephone to report anti-social behaviour.

A public meeting at Havelock Street Community Centre heard from a man who had failed to get an answer despite ringing Darlington police station for two hours.

He said: "I was trying over a period of two hours because a youth was kicking my fence in. It was between six and seven minutes each time before I decided to ring up. I have come to the end of my tether."

Councillor Andy Scott, ward member for Haughton West, said residents had complained to him that they could not get a response when they tried to complain about 50 youths carrying baseball bats in their street.

Others said they had failed to get an answer, or that operators had been rude to them when they called the Darlington station.

Chief Superintendent Michael Banks said: "It is totally unacceptable that you are having to wait and try for over two hours and not get through."

He said calls went to a control room in Bishop Auckland, which had been experiencing technical problems and an increased number of calls.

Chief Inspector Jane Spraggon said: "You shouldn't get an unprofessional response. If you get that level of service, then I want to know about it."

She said the incidents described would have merited a call to 999.