TEENAGERS have turned a cemetery into a drink and drugs haunt, a resident has claimed.

People living near North Road Cemetery have had their property stolen or vandalised.

And an empty house within the grounds has been rendered uninhabitable by the drunken antics of the graveyard gang.

A resident, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal, told The Northern Echo: "I have had kids jumping up and down on the roof of my car. They have also stolen my hub caps."

He is disappointed by both the police and the council's response, and said: "I expected some kind of security when I moved here. I bought my house here from the council and was assured by them that the area was very peaceful and safe, but now it seems as if our complaints are going unnoticed.

"My home has become socially uninhabitable. I'm often woken in the early hours by shouting and the cemetery becomes a public toilet on Friday and Saturday nights."

The man's home was also the target of an attempted break-in, and when he went to speak with the youths he was pelted with stones and bottles.

He said: "It's pitch black in the cemetery at night when most of the vandalism happens. If there were street lights we could give descriptions of the kids to the police."

A spokeswoman for Darlington Borough Council said: "We are aware of some problems in North Road Cemetery and work has been carried out to try to deal with the issues. Staff are also in the cemetery on a daily basis to address any issues. The Youth Service is also working to engage young people in the area."