Was fear of reprisals the reason for poor turnout?

Some locals have said they are afraid to leave their homes at night because the gangs, including children as young as ten, are terrorising the Wilton Lane estate.

They claim youths regularly congregate to drink alcohol and take drugs, while others ride off-road motorbikes across residents' gardens.

The public meeting, at Guisborough Methodist Church, was intended as another chance for people to voice their concerns with police, councillors and representatives from Coast and Country Housing Association.

Tony Richmond, who lives on the estate, said: "It was a poor turnout - there were more police and councillors there than residents. The bad weather didn't help, but I believe the majority of people didn't turn up for fear of reprisals."

He added: "The council said they had done an inspection of the whole area and they did not think it was too bad, so we were not very happy about that."

He welcomed the promise to cut back overgrown shrubs and bushes on the estate, which he claimed youths also used as cover before jumping out on passers-by.

Police said they would be stepping up patrols in the area and would return to the system involving more foot patrols.

Mr Richmond said: "At the moment they just drive into the estate and straight out again. They don't go down all the alleyways. We have been promised help before but it has not happened. We will just have to wait and see how it goes."

A bus driver who attended the meeting told how youths had thrown stones at his bus, and the headteacher of Northgate Junior School, Pat Anderson, voiced her fears about youngsters becoming involved in trouble out of school.

Mrs Anderson told the D&S Times: "I have always regarded our school as a haven of peace and tranquility and I did not appreciate how bad the situation obviously is on the estate.

"In six years, the worst vandalism I have experienced in school was in June when we had six windows broken."