Elderly Tadworth residents say young hooligans are making their lives hell with late night vandalism sprees.

And they claim a lack of police action will only serve to encourage the gangs to escalate their anti-social activities.

This follows two months of misery during which gangs of youths aged between 12 and 16 years have broken down hedges, fences and gates and kicked down walls along Waterer Gardens.

But police say their beat officer is talking to the youths concerned and providing a reassuring presence to the public.

Residents have complained that on one occasion, when the police were summoned, they arrived almost half an hour after the call was made, long after the culprits had disappeared.

They say on another occasion police did not turn up at all and on a third occasion they did not turn up but a control room operator made a call to the victim at 8.30am the following day.

"We are feeling very vulnerable and let down," said a woman who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals.

"There are a lot of elderly people round here and they they have to rely on the police and they are feeling that they just don't count.

"And what seems minor to the police seems much more important when you are old and frightened.

"An 86-year-old lady had her wall kicked down. Was she supposed to go out and deal with it herself? We get the feeling the police just don't want to know."

Councillor Brian Stead, chairman of the Banstead Police and Community Partnership Group, said: "I am concerned there is a general feeling among the public that the police response time to incidents is not as good as it ought to be.

"I am also concerned this youth vandalism is not met with greater priority by the police. I feel they should be taking some positive action to identify these people and, at the very least, speak to the parents and give the youngsters warnings."

But a Surrey Police spokes-man said: "The neighbourhood specialist officer Ross Spanton has been patrolling on foot to deter this kind of activity and reassure local residents. He has spoken to a number of youngsters, and he plans to visit those affected by vandalism."

July 12, 2002 16:00