ANGRY Acomb residents say life in their community is getting worse - and have challenged the police and city council to do something about it.

The recent spate of muggings on the elderly in Acomb has caused a wave of anger among residents.

Vanessa Wright, of Birstwith Drive, said: "I have lived here for 11 years and it has definitely got worse over the last four years. Drugs and unemployment are part of the problem."

Neighbour Emma Stables, 23, said a few problem families were behind much of the trouble.

She said: "The council wants to get them out, and all the bagheads (heroin addicts) as well. Someone threatened to beat me up when I was nine months pregnant."

Marc Stancer, 30, said: "I have been threatened and someone threatened to damage my car."

Day centre worker Amanda Mansell, of Murray Street, felt a few people were spoiling it for the whole Acomb community.

She said: "It feels like there is an undercurrent of aggression, I wouldn't want to walk around alone at night, but it is because of a stupid few.

"It is sad, because there are a lot of nice people here and Acomb is trying to regenerate."

A 70-year-old woman, who declined to give her name, said: "They don't scare me, it just makes me ratty. No one does anything to get kids under control.

"The police should be down here and on these streets," she said.

Elaine Owen, of Gale Lane, said: "It is definitely getting worse, all the bag snatching, burglary and kids getting their mobiles pinched."

Lawrence Jackson, of Malvern Avenue, said: "This place is a disgrace these days, kids doing stupid, petty stuff, and where are the police? There should be two of them patrolling round here all the time.

"The courts are too soft and they are too soft on the parents. If I was the judge I'd have them castrated - make sure they couldn't breed again."

Builder John Butler said he had suffered regular crime problems in the 17 years he had run his business from Acomb.

Mr Butler said he had applied to build six flats in an alley close to his business, which he claims would have cut back on crime, but planning permission was refused.

He is soon to lodge an appeal.

Mr Butler said: "The problems have mainly been burglaries, at night and sometimes during the day. They have been going on pretty much all the time we have been here.

"But there does seem to be a problem with bag snatching at the moment."

City of York Council leader and Acomb resident Steve Galloway said: "Acomb is generally a safe and nice place to live.

"What we identified a few months ago are some gangs of teenagers whose behaviour is unacceptable."

Coun Galloway said people had been standing up to the gangs to say "These are the acceptable boundaries of behaviour."

He also praised Neighbourhood Watch schemes, including a successful one in Westfield Place.

Sergeant Mike Stubbs, head of the community policing team responsible for west York, said that since the police ward manager system began officers had started to build strong links across the Acomb community.

He said officers were working closely with councillors, tenancy enforcement teams, residents' groups and estate managers. Acomb's three main ward areas were regularly patrolled by community officers, or ward managers.

Sgt Stubbs said: "We are reliant on information from the community and the support of the community. I would encourage people to continue reporting things to us."

Updated: 08:43 Friday, September 05, 2003