Teenage Gang Terrorises Quiet Road

12.42.13pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 16th Sep 2005

A quiet residential road in Twickenham (Churchview Road) has been subject to nine months of hell by a small group of youngsters aged 9 to 14 who sleep out on a patch of waste ground, consume drink and drugs, vandalise cars, stone houses and truant from school. Although well known to residents, the police have declined, so far, to act, despite several of the boys apparently having ASBOs from a neighbouring borough.

Residents have approached Vincent Cable MP for assistance and he has notified the police, the local Youth Offending Team and the school from which the leader of the gang is playing truant. Vincent Cable said: "I find it absolutely extraordinary that this kind of situation can be allowed to continue for so long with the police unable or unwilling to intervene. There are powers for the authorities to act in cases of serious antisocial behaviour by children and this seems like a clear case for intervention. I have asked the authorities for a full investigation."