A RESIDENT who says vandals are destroying his neighbourhood is calling on police and community wardens to step up their patrols.

Eric Leeming says Darlington police are not doing enough to deal with youngsters who daub graffiti on the pavilion at Abbey Road playing fields.

"I have lived here for nearly 30 years and I love the place," he said. "But they are ruining the area with continued vandalism."

Mr Leeming, of Westbourne Grove, said the sports pavilion, which belongs to Queen Elizabeth VI Form College, was recently re-sprayed white.

"Within 36 hours the youths were back and had covered it with graffiti," he said. "They've also covered the fence with graffiti. They get up to all sorts of things, including drinking alcohol. It's very unnerving for residents when they are there on a night."

He said police and community wardens needed to increase their presence in the area. "It's giving a thoroughly bad impression of what is a very fine Victorian area of Darlington." A police spokesman said anti-social behaviour by young people was a constant source of concern from residents in the area.

"We are aware of the problems which are caused in the main by access to drink. We are targeting our own patrols in that area when we can and also the council wardens and the police community support officers are paying attention to the area."

A borough council spokeswoman said wardens regularly patrolled the neighbourhoo.

"Our uniformed wardens are aware that youths use the pavilion area as a meeting place. Wardens have in the past had to move youths on from that area and they will continue to do so."

The playing fields are soon to get a new pavilion, perimeter fence and CCTV cameras as part of a £2.5m revamp of the college's facilities.