GANGS of teenagers riding around in supermarket trolleys and pushing them into cars were today warned they could be caught on CCTV and prosecuted.

Burnley police have launched a poster campaign at the town's Asda store after supermarket workers and shoppers revealed how they were being intimidated by the gangs who roam the car park at night.

Staff at the Princess Way supermarket have complained that teenagers are frightening people and wreaking havoc at night.

Community Beat officer PC Nic Fisher, who regularly holds police surgeries at the store, said: "During the day juvenile nuisance isn't such a problem, but it can be in the evening when youngsters think no-one can see them or identify them.

"The poster campaign has been launched to give people fair warning that they may be being watched.

"Needless to say, we will have no hesitation in taking firm action against anyone who fails to heed the warnings and persists in causing a nuisance."

Christine Gotts, deputy customer service manager at the store said: "It happens every week. I do late nights and you have got to keep your eyes open.

"It can intimidate people. There was a customer last week stood outside guarding his car while his other half was inside shopping.

"Kids are pushing trolleys round the car park, riding in them and pushing them into cars.

"They come into the store in little groups without parents and be a nuisance. When you approach them, they do run off, as kids do.

"Customers see them hanging around and it can make them feel a bit nervous about leaving their cars.

"We try to deter it, but it is difficult. We do have customers who would rather stay with their cars."

Police have promised to prosecute, where possible, any offender caught on the CCTV cameras close to the store.

PC Fisher added: "While there may be no shoppers around to identify them, we are warning them there is always CCTV.

"CCTV is a valuable tool in the fight against crime. Quite often we use it to catch offenders in the act, but we can also use it retrospectively to identify offenders."