A GROUP of Burnley neighbours today revealed how they were being terrorised by a gang of youths who were making the area a "no go zone".

People in the Accrington Road district said juveniles regularly went on the rampage and were making people too afraid to leave their homes.

Police are now investigating a catalogue of complaints which include swearing at and threatening residents, smashing windows, damaging cars and firing catapults, as well as throwing stones at passers-by and motorists.

Residents say the problems have become worse in the last fortnight after Burnley Council began repair work on a row of houses and put up scaffolding at the site.

Neighbours said the tearaways were using the building site as a playground and could regularly be seen climbing on to roofs, peering through windows and using the scaffolding as a launchpad for stone throwing attacks.

Donna Scully, 33, said the youngsters' behaviour was so bad that she would not let her three children, Curtis, nine, Abigail, four, and Joshua, three, out of the house alone.

She added: "These children have no idea what they are doing is wrong and nothing gets done about their behaviour.

"My two youngest are scared to go to bed now because these kids have been climbing on the scaffolding and banging on the bedroom windows. They are out of control."

Neighbour David Malin said: "By themselves these youngsters are normally OK, but once they get into a gang they are an absolute menace, drinking, swearing and threatening people.

"They are climbing on to the scaffolding and throwing stones at cars and bikes as they go past.

"You don't dare tell them what they are doing is wrong because they will probably put your windows through."

Last year police and transport chiefs warned that bus services attacked by youths could be axed altogether after the No. 12 service along Accrington Road, Burnley, was withdrawn twice after being pelted with stones.

Drivers refused to travel along the route after youngsters threw missiles at their vehicles, terrifying drivers and passengers. No-one was injured.

A new community office for the Accrington Road Residents' Association was opened on Monday at Howard Street Community Centre.

A councillor for Trinity ward, Carole Galbraith, said: "It isn't right that this sort of thing is happening to residents and I will contact the beat bobby and the community wardens, who will, hopefully, be able to reassure them."

Inspector Martin Hall from Burnley police said: "I can confirm that we have had a number of complaints about the behaviour of youths in the Accrington Road area. Arrangements are being made for the community beat manager and council warden to speak to the residents with a view to addressing the issue.

"The problem for us is that the youths make off from the scene when they see that the police are on their way, which makes identification difficult. I would urge anyone who may know which youths are causing the problem to contact us.

"Where clear evidence of offences is forthcoming, we will seek to take action against those concerned."

He added: "Clearly. parents have a role to play in preventing this type of incident, too, and I would them to give us their full co-operation."