The Tang Hall Co-op store which was attacked last night and, inset, Co-op deputy chief executive Peter Marks

A stores chief launched a stinging attack on York police today after a shop came under attack during fresh disturbances on one of the city's council estates.

The deputy chief executive of the Yorkshire Co-operative Society, Peter Marks, spoke out after a security guard at the Tang Hall Co-op store was attacked and windows smashed in two hours of trouble that spilled on to nearby Etty Avenue.

Reinforcements had to be drafted in from Scarborough to assist York police in quelling last night's violence.

Mr Marks said he feared a staff member at their Tang Hall Lane store could be seriously hurt soon if steps were not taken to restore order.

He added: "There were gangs of youths running rampage around the area and it seems the police are totally ineffectual in controlling this situation, in that law and order in that area seems to have disappeared."

He said the future viability of the store was at serious risk if something was not done, adding: "I feel very, very angry about the situation."

He felt sorry for Co-op staff who worked hard, but had to endure threats and abuse, and youths who came into the store and took goods at will because there were too many of them to control.

He would raise the matter with senior officers.

Detective Chief Inspector John Lacy said he understood Mr Marks's feelings but was disappointed the stores chief had not spoken to him.

Police were not ineffectual, he said. Year on year they arrested more people and they had launched a number of dawn raids on known offenders such as those today in Clifton.

"Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of having a policeman on every corner of every street of Tang Hall, Chapelfields, or Kingsway North, and we have to look at priorities."

It was common knowledge there had been an upsurge of unruly behaviour in Tang Hall which followed national trends. "The problem will only get better when we all fight it together," he said.

Last night's violence erupted at 8pm when the guard was attacked and trolleys were thrown around near the Co-op.

A group of about 20 youths was dispersed to the Etty Avenue area where they were involved in a series of confrontations with police, during which bricks were thrown and racial abuse was shouted, said DCI Lacy.

Three people were arrested - a juvenile on suspicion of causing criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly, a youth on suspicion of obstructing police and a man in his 20s for racial abuse.

DCI Lacy spoke of his disappointment at a number of Etty Avenue residents, who he said treated the incident with total disregard.

"They sat about in chairs in their gardens drinking beer," he said.

He said the assistance of residents was vital if the problems were to tackled effectively.

A local family were today seeking to be rehoused after a brick was thrown through their window in the trouble.

Glenn Stephenson said the brick broke only the first pane of a double glazed window in their front room, but his German wife Anne-Marie was left in tears and one of his daughters was physically sick.

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