A COUNCILLOR in Yarm is calling for a reduction in council tax for residents - because of drunken revellers who are causing chaos in the town centre.

Councillor Marjorie Simpson said people living on or near to the High Street are frightened and fed up by the late-night antics of people visiting pubs and restaurants.

She wants Stockton Borough Council to reduce residents' council tax to make up for the spate of upmarket bars and restaurants which have sprung up in the town centre in recent years.

"Residents should pay less rates to compensate for the shattering of the peace of their previously comfortable surroundings," said Coun Simpson.

"Each evening they see Yarm change to a jungle of people, some enjoying the atmosphere, others looking for trouble, others illicit business and those stoned out of their minds doing all manner of antisocial acts.

"At one time, people lived quite peacefully in Yarm. Now they are quite aggrieved to have people urinating through their letterboxes and hammering on their windows at night."

Councillor Brian Jones said he had received repeated complaints from residents who are too scared to leave their homes on an evening. "It's not just the noise level. It's vandalism and violence too.

"People are getting broken windows when things are thrown through them. They don't want to go out and speak to these people for fear of what might happen."

But he would rather Stockton council tackled the root of the problem by refusing to grant planning permission for more nightspots and pumping ratepayers' money back into the town centre.

"I think Marjorie's argument holds sway, but I think that is treating the symptom and not the cause. Policing is virtually non-existent in Yarm. The council obviously gets more money in rates the more businesses there are, but the people are getting nothing back."

Last July, a man walking along Yarm High Street was so badly beaten he suffered serious head injuries and police have since stepped up weekend evening patrols.

A Stockton council spokesman said residents could appeal against their council tax band if they felt there had been a reduction in the value of their property.