A POLICE chief is getting tough on criminals, saying he is "sick of namby-pambying about with them".

Chief Superintendent John Kelly, of Cleveland Police, made the remarks at a meeting in which he heard a catalogue of crime which blights Eston.

More than 30 residents turned up to the meeting to demand security cameras in the community's vandal-hit shopping precinct. They also handed over a petition of 1,500 signatures in support.

And they heard Chief Superintendent John Kelly give a stark account of the police's difficulties in tackling the thugs.

Pensioner Emily Gregory and some of her friends launched Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Special Community Safety meeting by describing the crime they have to endure.

She said shop staff had been terrorised by thugs; cars set alight in the street; gates, fences, and windows had been broken; and there had been verbal abuse.

Mrs Gregory said: "I have been a resident of Eston for 53 years and the situation has never been as bad as it is now. I, and others, have no life at all, certainly no social life.

"We're scared to go out and our friends are too scared to come round. We want our council and police to really, really work for us."

Chief Supt Kelly went on to give an account of his force's attempts to deal with the vandals. He said: "The activities that happen in Eston are disgraceful, the police department has been run ragged.

"We've had success by using plain-clothed officers but I've got limited resources. I've told my police officers to deploy firm policing, we are sick of namby-pambying about with them.

"CCTV only goes so far, although we will look at moving our mobile CCTV camera there for a period. Next year we will be able to use new community patrol officers and we will go round all the area's off-licences. I would say to all the members of the community, don't lose faith in your police."

People at the meeting urged the council to apply for more money for security cameras and conduct a study into the problem.