Canvey residents: Stop treating our homes like park football pitches (From Echo)

Canvey residents: Stop treating our homes like park football pitches

4:00pm Wednesday 10th March 2010 in

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RESIDENTS claim their lives are being made a misery by youngsters kicking footballs against their homes.

The householders, who live in St George’s Walk, in Canvey, are taking a stand after enduring five years of teenagers striking balls against fences, windows and walls.

One of the campaigners, who did not want to be name for fear of being targeted by the youths, said: “It just never seems to stop. You go outside and tell them to move on and they’re back in a matter of hours.

“It really gets to you. Even when they’re not there you’re constantly watching and worrying they’ll come back. We’re decent people and we’ve had enough.”

“I continue to fight councillors to give our kids better facilities so they can play without causing annoyance to residents in many areas of the borough.

“We also need to encourage parents to take much tougher control of their youngsters.

“Then our communities can live in peace and quiet, so far as is reasonable.”

The residents want the grassy square in the centre of their street planted with trees, which would force the youngsters to play elsewhere.

But Conservative ward councillor Ray Howard believes policing is the answer.

He said: “If the problem is this bad, my fear is the kids will just come along and break the trees.

“I think it is a case of making sure the police’s community support officers are aware of the problem, because I think once these youngsters are warned that will be the end of it.”