ELDERLY residents of a Blackburn housing estate claim a gang of rampaging youths are making their lives a misery.

Teenagers in the Ashworth Close area are setting fire to cars, drinking alcohol in public areas and urinating against the sides of houses, according to locals.

People living at Cowell Way, which overlooks St Barnabas Primary School, said enough was enough when a stolen car was rammed down a back lane trapping one OAP in his house.

Kim Glanville, 67, said: "I've had my window put through three times and I'm worried about going to bed.

"The weekends are the worst. These youngsters go on the rampage. It's an intolerable situation. No-one should have to live like this.

"We've had eight burnt-out cars on this estate this year alone. I'm 67 years old and how much longer do I have to go through this?"

A car was wedged between the back fence of a property and the railings of St Barnabas School overnight on Friday.

The C-registered blue Nissan had been jumped on and its rear windows smashed, before being abandoned.

Resident Arthur Finch said: "A gang of about 15 or so regularly make a nuisance of themselves.

"They drink in the stairwell and use the corner of my house as a urinal. We ring the police, but no one comes.

"Now they're trapping people in their houses with stolen cars. I can't believe they are being allowed to get away with it."

Sheena Scholes said she had lived on the estate for 21 years and elderly residents were now forced to live in what had become virtually a siege situation.

"A group of youngsters are congregating in public areas or stairwells and making our lives a misery. A car gets taken from here nearly every week and the elderly residents are scared to death.

"It used to be lovely here but now it has gone too far. We've had enough," she said.

A police spokesman said they were aware of problems involving youths in that area but added things had calmed down in recent weeks.

She said: "Since April there has been a pattern of criminal damage to property in the Ashworth Close area of town.

"These were indiscriminate attacks against all members of the community and tended to be things like broken windows.

"We have had high-visibility patrols in that area and there is a community plan which officers are currently working on.

"We will be robust in dealing with these kinds of incidents and will prosecute offenders accordingly."