RESIDENTS of a Darlington street say they are being terrorised by gangs of youths.

People in Brompton Walk, in the Mowden area, say they are subject to regular threats and intimidation from groups of more than 20 teenagers who congregate on the street.

They have reported a number of incidents to the police, which have included youngsters drinking alcohol and shouting abuse, flinging mud at windows, and riding bikes over lawns and trampling on hedges.

The situation has become so bad that three people are said to have already been forced to move from the street.

Darlington borough councillor Alan Marshall said: "When you get as many as 25 youths running riot, that is more than just bad behaviour.

"This now has been going on for some months and the police have been helpful, but soon as these youths see a policeman they are off.

"People seem to think this kind of thing only happens on council estates, but it does not."

One resident of the street, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "It is a nightmare. Some people, particularly the elderly, are just too frightened to go out.

"When you do see anything, you don't want to confront these people in case you get a brick through your window.

"Three people have already sold up and moved out, and we cannot stand it any longer. One man had them on his drive playing cards and drinking, and when he went out to tell them to move they threatened him."

The resident said that the youngsters involved used mobile telephones to alert each other to the presence of the police and many were not from the immediate area.

Darlington Borough Council spokesman Steve Jones said the authority's community safety team was aware of the problem.

Uniformed neighbourhood wardens were working with the local beat police officer to try to improve the situation.

He said: "We will investigate any reports we receive of anti-social behaviour and take any necessary steps, involving the police, to deal with it.