RESIDENTS who woke up to find their street had been ransacked have warned the vandals 'we won't stand for it'.

Bank Street, Darwen, came to life at around 5.45am yesterday after a resident going out to work discovered the damage to cars and houses.

Doors had been drawn on with black marker pen and splashed with paint and nail varnish and some had food thrown at them. Chalk asterisks had been etched on to the walls. Residents said a was covered in food and sand and another had a the name Emily sprayed onto it in gold paint.

Some of the residents said children had caused trouble and made their live hell during the past two months -- one family does not want to leave their house after their back yard was broken into two days ago.

But the trouble yesterday morning has made the residents vow that they will not allow the vandals to terrorise their neighbourhood.

"I just want people to know we are not standing for it," said resident Miss Neelam Nisar who had her house and car vandalised. "It is making life hell.

"We have lived on the street for 15 years. They are coming and making trouble and swearing and trying to break into the yards. Doors have graffiti on them and cars have been damaged with a name painted on.

"Trouble has been going on for the past two months.

"People at one house are scared to leave the house because their back yard was broken into yesterday. "We have had the police down and they said they are to investigate into it."

Another resident, Mrs Rosa Russo, awoke to find someone had sprayed a name in gold paint onto her Vauxhall Astra. This was the first time they had been targeted.

"My husband told me when he was going to work. I saw it covered in dirt and paint. I took photos of it for the police. I've never had any problems likes this before. I was absolutely furious."

But one resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "I think it is a just an isolated incident."

Detective Sergeant Ian Critchley of Darwen CID said: "A house and a car were damaged. There was nail varnish scrawled on a door of a house and onto bonnet of a car. Our inquiries are continuing."