RESIDENTS being terrorised by gangs are appealing for action to help reclaim their estate.

Youngsters aged from ten upwards, have been caught in large groups drinking alcohol, taking drugs and riding off-road motorbikes in residents' gardens on the Wilton Lane Estate, in Guisborough.

Many locals said they are too afraid to leave their homes in the evening.

Councillors, the police, Coast and Country Housing and community safety officers met residents in July in a bid to tackle the problems.

Another public meeting will be held this evening at 6pm in Guisborough Methodist Church to discuss the situation.

Inspector Graham Wakerley, of Cleveland Police, said: "The problem we have on the estate is groups of youths causing annoyance to residents, and especially elderly residents, mainly at weekends.

"We believe that the youths do not come from the Wilton Lane Estate but from other parts of Guisborough.

"We have made arrests for drugs in the area, confiscated alcohol from under-age children and warned the youths about riding off-road motorcycles on grass verges and in people's gardens.

"I think the problem was made worse during the summer holidays when there was more anti-social behaviour."

He said the area had not been patrolled as often between April and July as it had in the past, due to new policing systems, but he said that would change in October.

"We have carried out a crime prevention survey which highlighted the need for better lighting, footpaths to be better maintained and shrubbery cut back and we are also considering putting in CCTV, but that will depend on council funding," he said.

"We would also encourage parents to be more aware of what their children are doing."

Ronny Harris, director of operations for Housing Association Coast and Country Housing, which owns properties on the estate, said: "We are working with the council, the police and local residents to make the estate a safe and attractive place to live."