A FAMILY living on a troubled Preston estate have vowed to stand up and fight gangs of drug dealers and thugs following months of intimidation and racist taunts.

Elaine Sharples -- who has lived in Frenchwood all her life, together with her mother, grandmother and sisters -- is set to move into a new house on Selborne Street even though gangs of Asian youths have warned her to move out of the area because she is white.

Yet, months of racial taunts and bullying has made Elaine and her family even more determined than ever to stay in the area and stand up to these gangs.

Houses near the notorious Smiths recreational park, which are used regularly by heroin addicts, cannot be sold due to vandalism, drug abuse and intimidation. Elaine, 19, daughter of Pauline Sharples, the local neighbourhood watch co-ordinator, explained: "Gangs of Asian youths stand outside the park and stop kids and teenagers going in to the park, saying: "This is our park, get out!".

"It's a nightmare. They call me and my friends "white slags" and tell us to leave the area because of the colour of our skin."

Yet, Elaine is adamant she is going to stay.

She added: "I'm moving in to my new house and that's that. No-one is going to scare me out of the place I've lived all my life."

In a move to try and tackle gangs and crime, area councillor Ken Cole has called on Preston council to install CCTV cameras.

Only two weeks ago, two women were sexually assaulted between Manchester Road and Smiths park.

Councillor Cole said: "CCTV cameras would stop youths hanging around, the drug use, vandalism and may have caught those sex attackers."