Harold Hill residents have demanded action to rescue their neighbourhood from the yobs that have turned it into a hotbed of crime and a late night race track.

They are insisting that the only way to kill off vandalism and yobbery on the housing estate where they live is to improve lighting, block off exits and install CCTV there.

One outraged resident, Ian Bateman of Briar Road, said: "It's a bad estate for crime and I'm sticking my neck out by speaking out.

"Soon after moving here three years ago I had my Ford Orion stolen. Now I daren't let my three-year-old child go out on the streets.

"Recently kids have been out at 1 to 4am in noisy petrol go-karts. When the police get here the kids have gone or have turned their go-kart lights and engines off. It's such a big estate to hide in with so many exits.

"The council spends £18,000 a year on repairing vandalism. Some of this money could be used to improve poorly lit areas or block off some exits to make it hard for them to escape.

"The previous estate I lived in had a reputation for trouble. But the general crime level there was lower than here because no one wanted to be caught on the security cameras there. You could say it was an intrusion but only if you've got something to hide."

Other residents, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, confirmed that the estate is facing very real problems, but local Cllr Denis O'Flynn insisted the area was improving.

He said: "Abandoned cars are being removed, street lighting has been improved and even action on dog-fouling has been taken."

A spokesman for Havering Council added: "The existing concierge system in Harold Hill, providing CCTV coverage 24 hours a day all year round, has significantly reduced reports of crime and vandalism in the area and therefore provides a real sense of security for the residents of the estate.

"Also, the system has recently been expanded to three more remote sites where vandalism problems had been reported.

"Staff from our housing team work to identify any problem sites and formulate solutions to improve security and therefore residents' sense of well being in and around their homes.

"While the council is not aware of any recent concerns involving moped riders and general vandalism it takes community safety extremely seriously and will always work with residents to find a solution."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.