A HOUSING development on a Darlington estate is being plagued by vandals, according to developers.

Barratt Homes and Haslam Homes are building more than 400 houses in Firthmoor as part of a multi-million pound regeneration of the estate.

But Rob McLackland, from Barratt Homes, told a meeting of the Firthmoor Community Partnership Board that youngsters were targeting the building site in Edgemoor Road.

"There are major problems with kids throwing stones at windows," he said.

"In the last week alone, every window in the show house has been put out.

"There has been a lot of trouble with the guard at night times with kids distracting him. He thinks on a couple of occasions there have been kids in the compound."

Parnership board vice-chairwoman Trish Johnson suggested extra security.

After yesterday's meeting, Barratt's land manager, Neil Milburn, said vandalism on construction sites was common.

"The people of Firthmoor are lovely and with the exception of this we have had nothing but help from them. The Firthmoor regeneration is a two-way street. If we have got problems with them we tell them," he said.

Between 20 and 25 plots had been sold on the site, he said.

Inspector Paul Unsworth, of Darlington police, said two incidents of vandalism at the site had been reported.

But he said incidents of criminal damage on the estate overall had dropped by half last month.

"On average there are 19 or 20 incidents a month reported, but in April there were only eight," he said.

Neighbourhood manager Sally Forth said she was confident the vandalism could be tackled.

"There's nowhere else in Darlington that has got as many provisions in place to tackle anti-social behaviour so if we can't get it right no one can," she said.

"We have invited the developers to our next community safety meeting and want to know times and places when these incidents are happening so we can deal with them."

Haslam's sales office is expected to open on Tuesday or Wednesday, with building work on the site due to start on May 12.

The joint development of two, three and four-bedroom homes - called Moorfield - will replace more than 300 houses which were demolished in 2001 by Darlington Borough Council.