FAMILIES whose lives have been plagued by acts of vandalism are desperate for help to "cut off" a dark alley which their tormentors use as an escape route.

An overgrown alleyway at the end of Wray's Avenue in Huntington, York, is being blamed for escalating problems of noise, vandalism and theft.

The troubles came to a head when one young family's car was torched outside their house. Luckily the fuel tank was almost empty, saving their home from going up in flames.

Wray's Avenue residents are calling for a high fence to be installed to cut off the alley.

Robert Collinson, who lives with his partner, Joanne Wilson, said: "The root of the problem is the dark, overgrown alleyway at the end of our street leading to Birch Park Industrial Estate."

He said motorbikes raced up and down the alley and Wray's Avenue, making it "extremely dangerous to step out of your own front door". He said security lights were "pelted with stones for sport" and drunken revellers used the alley as a short cut, dumping beer cans and urinating outside his home, while vandals targeted cars.

He said the attacks had intensified with vehicles and wheelie bins being set on fire. One car was set alight in the alley while his car was torched outside his house.

"The only reason the house did not become seriously damaged was that the petrol tank was nearly empty. This is a whole new level of fear - someone could get killed. Now we always have the very real worry when leaving our cars and houses to come back to find them gutted by fire, or worse, waking up in an inferno."

His neighbour, Richard Stephenson, said noise, vandalism and theft problems had escalated in recent years, while he had also witnessed drug dealing.

"On four occasions in the last three years my vehicles have been broken into. There have been at least five burglary attempts on my property, two of which have been successful."

When he approached nuisance youths he said he was met with "foul and abusive language or behaviour".

A City of York Council spokeswoman said the path was not considered suitable for alleygating as it was not in a Home Office designated "high crime" area.

However, support was available, for example, from street environment officers, who had spent time tidying the alleyway, and who were on hand to respond to residents' requests.

Carol Patrick, of Safer York Partnership, said a range of options could be employed, such as increasing patrols and encouraging residents to come forward with information about persistent anti-social behaviour which would support the pursuit of ASBOs.

Updated: 09:58 Wednesday, February 23, 2005