A gang of young yobs returned to an alleyway two nights in a row to destroy fencing in mindless acts of vandalism.

Antisocial behaviour has been rife on Canvey in recent months, particularly in the lead up to Halloween and Bonfire Night, and the latest incident has seen a group of youngsters, believed to be between 11 and 13, kicking through fences in an alleyway off Sycamore Close.

The youths returned two nights in a row, at roughly 6pm, before they were scared off by a furious resident.

Julie Shorey, 40, of Sycamore Close, said: “It really doesn’t make sense to me, how could you enjoy kicking a fence so much you come back to do it two nights in a row.

“It is a walkway along there, a bit of an alleyway, and we go through phases of having big groups hanging out there.

“Since Bonfire Night I have heard a lot about the kids on the island causing trouble, but these were quite a young group, probably between 11 and 13.

“It is very concerning. It’s hard to say why, are they bored? But what is the point? They are just causing damage for the sake of it.

“Its a ten panel long fence, on the first night they destroyed six, and the second night they kicked in another one, before someone came out and shouted at them and they ran off.”

In August, the Echo reported young boys giving Jews Nazi salutes outside the Jewish Centre in Meppell Avenue.

Halloween was marred by a group of 30 to 50 youths accused of shouting racial slurs outside the same centre while on the same night a dispersal order was put in place.

Roughly 70 youths were moved on through the dispersal order, after there were multiple reports to the police of antisocial behaviour in the town centre.

Also in October, the Paddocks was targeted by youths who damaged the well-loved community centre and terrorised residents in the area.

Julie fears that the children on Canvey are developing a gang mentality, where they believe it is okay to cause damage because they are part of a group.

Ms Shorey said: “They think this kind of behaviour is acceptable, but it is not.

“It seems to have started in the summer when kids started riding around in gangs on their bikes causing trouble, and it has grown since then.

“Its a group mentality where they think they can do what they want.”

The criminal damage has been reported to the police.