A CHILDREN’S home which wants to remain open permanently has been the source of 45 crimes and 34 arrests in three years, a police report has revealed.

Action in Care Ltd has applied to have St Andrews, the care home it runs for five young people aged up to 18, made a permanent fixture in The Avenue in Gravesend.

Gravesham Council’s regulatory board will make a decision on the home on Wednesday evening, which has been open with temporary planning permission since May 2004.

But nearby residents say there has been an increase in crime and anti social behaviour in the area since the home opened, and a Kent police report to the board backs this opinion.

The report says there have been “significant numbers of reported incidents connected to the premises” and says it is “detracting resources from tackling other crime and disorder”.

Figures in the report show there have been 631 incidents reported and 45 crimes recorded since 2007, with residents at the home being arrested 34 times.

John Hunt says he had to call the police two weeks ago after one of the home’s residents threw a mug at him as he was doing work in the bathroom of his house in The Avenue.

The 45-year-old said: “I was in the bathroom and a mug came flying in through the open window and shattered against the wall. One of the kids had thrown it from the garden.

“I spoke to the lad who’d done it and he apologised and said he’d been angry at the time, so I decided not to have him prosecuted.”

Mr Hunt added: “It’s great they are giving the children somewhere to live, but it’s just not in the right place with this being a residential street. The kids cause a lot of problems here.”

Kenneth Burchfield, aged 70, who lives nearby, says the crime figures should make the regulatory board, which is chaired by Councillor Harold Craske, “refuse to make the home permanent”.

Young people are referred to St Andrews by London Council, which is responsible for placing children from the London boroughs in care homes.

St Andrews has 17 members of staff and currently houses two 16-year-olds, two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old.

Action in Care was granted a two-year extension to the temporary planning permission last year, but wants permanent status so it can assure London Council that children will be at the home long-term.

Nobody from Action in Care was available to comment.

A petition with 57 signatures and 13 letters have been sent to the council to oppose the home becoming permanent. Reasons for objecting include: - Young people from the home use abusive and threatening language to people living nearby.

- Gangs hang around outside the property and intimidate nearby families.

- Young people take drugs, drink alcohol, smash bottles and fight outside the home.

- The Police are repeatedly called to the home.

- Loud music is played during the day and night.

- The young people litter front gardens and cars.