RESIDENTS in an area plagued by crime and dereliction are calling on the police to help them.

People in Hind Street and Alliance Street, Stockton, say their lives are being ruined by vandals and drug addicts.

One resident has had her car broken into and vandalised several times and says drug addicts openly inject in public. A number of houses have also been burgled.

The latest incident happened on Monday night, when an unoccupied house in Hind Street was set alight. Residents looked on as windows were blown out and the blaze damaged the house.

They say that if someone had walked past when the windows shattered, they could have been seriously hurt.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: "It was absolutely horrendous. The house in question had been subject to a lot of vandalism before the fire and we had continually warned the police and council about it. We would like a stop put to it."

An investigation is under way as crime teams attempt to discover the cause of the fire.

More than half of the properties in the two terraced streets are boarded up and derelict. The remaining population is scared of burglary and vandalism of neighbouring properties.

Some have been trying for years to sell their homes.

Inspector Ray Morton, community policing officer at Stockton, said: "The residents have had a bad time and we are trying to turn it around. We have carried out several successful drug raids and are in the process of getting rid of abandoned cars.

"The area can only get better from now on. It has been acknowledged that over the years, the area has gone downhill, but the encouraging thing is residents, the council and police are working together to try to improve it.

"However, it is not going to happen overnight. It is a marathon not a sprint. It is pleasing to see the residents helping themselves and we are working with them."