GANGS of badly-behaved children, some as young as four, are creating problems in an area of Colne, stealing, damaging property and abusing residents.

Ailsa Pate, who lives in Hall Street, is urging anyone on the receiving end of such actions to contact the police. She said unruly youngsters were targeting shop premises and hassling residents in streets close to the town centre.

She said: "One group is generally causing problems, stealing from the indoor market and other shops and getting older people to buy them cigarettes.

"Another is harassing residents, particularly in Hall Street, and verbally abusing people. These kids are out of control and spoiling the lives of residents and shopkeepers.

"If anyone else in the area is having similar problems we urge them to contact the police. They can't do anything unless people report what is happening. I've had mud thrown at my windows, food left on my car and suffered verbal abuse."

Mrs Pate and her mother, Pat Howarth, who lives in the same street, discovered that others had suffered similar abuse during a survey they were carrying out about residents' parking in Hall Street.

She said: "Eighteen of the 20 people interviewed said they had had problems with the gangs but they also thought they were the only ones suffering nuisance behaviour.

"Once we got together and had a chat about it, they realised they were not alone. There has been property damaged, verbal and racial abuse and it has got to stop.

"A lot of people think they are being a nuisance by calling the police but there is only so much the law can do if residents are not reporting things."

Her comments were supported by Coun Edwina Sargeant who has spoken to the police about the trouble.

She said: "I am doing everything I can to help. Children are scratching people's cars and when told off reply with a mouthful of abuse.

"The market has had trouble with groups of youths breaking in and causing damage. I went in there one day and they were riding round on skateboards. I told them to leave and got abuse.

"We now have anti-social behaviour laws so I think we should be doing something about it. The police have words with the children but once they have gone, they are at it again. I think we need action before it gets out of hand. These kids are running riot."

New beat officer for Colne town centre Phil Davies said: "This is an on-going problem and revolves around three families.

"Local shopkeepers, whom I don't want to name for fear of reprisals, have spoken to the police.

"Because of the young age of these children, some only four or five, there are other issues which we do not have the power to deal with. We hope to involve the social services.

"There are the anti-social behaviour contracts but we need a lot of evidence before we can issue them.

"We also need the contracts before we can get anything more forceable from the courts. As a police force we would say if people have problems, tell us about them. If we don't know, we can't help.

"I've been spending more time in the area in an attempt to deter the troublemakers."