RESIDENTS of a Chorley village are fighting back against litter louts and vandals who they say have left their estate like the scene of a riot.

The streets of Astley Village have become a target for youths who have left broken bottles and rubbish strewn around shops.

Vandals have also damaged property in the village.

Residents, who formed an action group a year ago, have decided to tackle the problem at its source by trying to provide youth facilities in the village.

Astley Village Action has applied for a National Lottery grant to provide two youth workers and equipment worth £1,000.

Members are also liaising with landlords to see if they can use one of the village's empty properties as a meeting place.

Paul Matthews, chairman of AVA and the village's parish council, said: "There's no place for the young people to meet and they tend to congregate under the canopy of the shops or under the subway.

"If we can give them a safe and supervised environment a lot of the problems will go."

Chorley borough councillor Peter Malpas has also stepped in to try to get the area cleaned up and is urging residents to contact the police if they have information on the culprits.

Mr Malpas said it was not the first time he had asked the council to do something about the problems in the village.

"There's just litter everywhere and probably eight or nine street signs have disappeared in the last two or three weeks."