THERE has been a “huge reduction” in reports of anti-social behaviour in Tolladine, according to police, despite residents claiming they are being terrorised by child hooligans.

Residents in Birch Avenue, off Tolladine Road, are at their wits end as youths as young as four are vandalising vehicles, kicking down fences and throwing stones, it has been claimed.

However, PC Allan Figueiredo said only six incidents of criminal damage in Tolladine had been reported since the start of the year and 17 calls relating to anti-social behaviour since November.

Five of those calls were in relation to Birch Avenue.

A Birch Avenue resident, who did not wish to be named, said, in regard to the child gang: “The police either don’t have any power to do anything or they just don’t care.”

But PC Figueiredo, of Gorse Hill and Rainbow Hill SNT, said: “To say we don’t care is not correct.

“The Safer Neighbourhood Team patrol the area on a regular basis and will engage with a majority of youths in the area.

“We have worked hard to reduce youth crime in the area and will continue to do so by working closely with housing associations and also the local youth centres to address any concerns raised.

“Unfortunately, children do play and will often push boundaries and our first course of action is to alert the parents to their children’s behaviour, from there we will go through the ASB process in an attempt to divert children from behaving in a criminal manner.”

He said police have been made aware of a Facebook video in which children are seen having an altercation with a resident in Birch Avenue, and “will be speaking to all parties involved about their behaviour in a public place”.

One Tolladine youth was given a Criminal Behaviour Order in March as a result of his behaviour across Worcester, which will run until 2021 and includes several conditions.

PC Figueiredo went on to say: “We were aware that some items had been deposited on the land at the top of Birch Avenue.

“We are now trying to establish exactly who owns the land in order to facilitate the removal.”

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