Residents of a block of flats in the centre of York say children are making their lives hell by banging on windows, letting off fire extinguishers and offending them with verbal abuse.

Iris Oliver, 63, Shirley Nelson, 63, and Dorothy and Arthur Bowles, who are in their eighties, have complained to the council and police about the nuisance caused by the group of around 15 male and female teenagers at Festival Flats, in Paragon Street.

They say the majority of the troublemakers are from other parts of the city.

Mrs Nelson, whose daughter has stopped visiting because of the verbal abuse, said: "My daughter always does my shopping for me on a Tuesday and she just doesn't want to come round any more because she's terrified."

Mrs Oliver said: "They knock on windows and buzz on the doors at 9pm and on light nights we've got to sit in the dark with our curtains shut to watch television.

"Talk about neighbours from hell - these are kids from hell."

The residents say the teenagers break windows playing ball games, drop glass bottles out of first floor windows and ride mopeds across the courtyard behind the flats.

The Bowles had to call a locksmith to fix their back door after glue was squirted into the keyhole.

Mrs Bowles said: "It is disgusting the way they carry on, you don't get any peace and we just want it stopped."

Martin Brown, proprietor of The Old Cattle Market Steak House, on the corner of Paragon Street, said: "I've had problems with kids knocking at the windows when I've got customers in and I feel sorry for the senior citizens who are bothered by them but they're just normal kids with nothing to do."

Sergeant Andy Everett, who polices the east side of the city, said: "We are aware of the problems at Festival Flats and at the moment each incident is being tackled on its own merits."

In July, police questioned young people from Tang Hall after reports of vandalism drunkenness and abuse.

Sgt Everett said: "We are liaising with the council and if it is decided to take more action an operation like the one in Tang Hall could be considered."

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