A COUNCIL tenant says joyriders and illegal tippers using a nearby field are making her life a misery.

Karen Davies, who lives in Colne Drive, Sutton, part of the New Street estate, claims youths regularly use nearby open land as an unofficial race track for their cars. And she fears a child could be killed if nothing is done about the problem.

She told the Star: "The problem came to a head recently when a car just ploughed through the joint fence of two of my neighbours. There were two children aged no more than four playing in the front garden at the time and they could have been killed. Although the fence was made of metal the car just crashed straight through it and into the garden."

To make matters worse, Karen says the area is also being used as a rubbish tip. "On hot days like we have had lately, the smell is unbearable. Part of the field is knee-deep in rubbish and I have even spotted a used syringe there.

"Someone from the council did come a few days ago and filled two or three bags with rubbish but they left most of it behind."

However, a spokesman for St Helens Council said the area was cleaned regularly and added: "We received a call from a resident earlier this month and council inspectors were sent out the same day. The area is obviously being used as a dumping ground but the council regularly clear the rubbish away and are now inspecting the tipping problem."

And Sergeant Kevin Wellens from Sutton Police Station said they weren't aware that the area had a major problem with joyriding. However he added: "We are keeping an eye on the area and we have arrested and charged a man with the incident in which a car drove into a resident's front garden."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.