A Merseyside estate is continuing to suffer with yobs causing damage to property, with some residents calling it "hopeless".
The streets around Fleet Lane, in Parr have been described as a "hotspot" for teenagers causing trouble, with some neighbours even thinking of moving house to get away. Boarded up windows and smashed buses are becoming more and more of a common sight in the area.
One person living on Cherry Tree Drive, close to The Duckeries greenway, said: "I really feel for some of the people who get it bad from the kids, because once you report it and they know that, they just step it up and make your life hell.
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"I don't know what the kids' parents think they're doing when they're out to be honest, because the kids don't care, they're only aged 10 to 14 I'd say."
Another neighbour living off Fleet Lane told the ECHO: "It's getting ridiculous around here to be honest, but police will never catch them because they all look like clones with their black tracksuits on."
Pearl Murdoch has lived on the estate for 30 years, but she is now thinking of upping sticks due to the campaign of abuse she has been subjected to. The 66-year-old nan said she "doesn't feel safe in her own home".
She added: "My window got smashed again around six weeks ago, and at this point I just want my housing company to brick the window up so that it stops getting smashed. I haven't got it fixed this time as it costs £200 each time with the double glazing, so I've just left the boards on it.
"It really does get cold, we've covered it with blankets and everything to try and keep the heat in, until it can get bricked up so that it won't happen again."
Despite Pearl's desperate situation, Merseyside Police said it had dealt with just "minor incidents caused by young children" in the Parr area.
December 9 saw the latest in a series of incidents on the estate, when a gang of teenagers reportedly sent a brick flying at a bus windscreen, causing massive damage.
Attacking buses does not seem to be anything new however, as the resident on Cherry Tree Drive said: "They always go for the buses as they come down, throwing rocks, bricks, anything."
With regards to the bus damage, a spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "We are appealing for information after a bus was damaged in St Helens on Friday December 9.
"At around 7.30pm, we received a report that an Arriva bus had been damaged while it was travelling on Fleet Lane.
"It was reported that a group of youths were stood at the side of the road and one of them has thrown a brick at the vehicle, which has damaged the windscreen."
St Helens local policing Inspector Stacey Pope said: “We have received a few reports of minor incidents caused by young children in the Parr area, and as a result we have increased high-visibility patrols to deal with any issues and prevent offences from taking place.
“Our local policing team has also been liaising with Parr Community Group’s outreach team and the council’s Safer Community outreach team who will be conducting outreach in the area this weekend and signposting the children to the numerous diversionary activities available.
“I would urge parents and guardians to know where their child is and what they are up to so they are not causing unnecessary distress to residents in the area.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to DM @MerPolCC, call 101 or contact @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 22000908295.
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