DARWEN beat bobbies are urging frightened residents to come forward and report teenage vandals who are making lives a misery.

Young wreckers are turning the Argyle Street area of Darwen into a 'living hell' because they have nowhere else to go, according to residents.

Cars windows are smashed every weekend, houses are defaced with graffiti and passers-by on the road are confronted by 30-strong gangs of teenagers.

Residents who spoke out about their fears wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.

Darwen Police are now telling residents to contact community beat officer PC Simon Hodgkinson to discuss the problems on the street.

One 25-year-old mother-of-two said: "It's getting so bad now that we are thinking of moving away from the area.

"On Sunday night I had the wing mirror on the new family car smashed and recently my husband had the windows on his company van smashed. It's been going on like this for two years.

"The kids hang around the garage because they have nowhere else to go and it's an absolute living hell.

"There are always kids hanging around at the weekends and there are around 30 of them in the summer.

"The problem is with the cars in the back alleys because you can't park them on the street. You'll come out and they are sat on the bonnets and they don't move when you tell them to get off.

"They paint on the walls and generally make the area look terrible.

"They wake our kids up through the night and it really must stop. We need more police to patrol the area or CCTV cameras to stop it."

PC Dave Allen of Darwen Police said: "We would look at getting the community beat officer on to the case in a situation like this where residents are facing problems with juveniles.

"They would then be able to work with the community and help them tackle the problems."

A 29-year-old delivery driver who lives on the street said: "It used to be a really nice place to live but the kids are spoiling it for everyone."

One resident said his 'F' reg Fiat Uno was smashed beyond recognition.

The 47-year-old said: "One Saturday morning just before Christmas when I came out to look at the car and it had been completely written off, smashed to pieces.

"I get things thrown at my house window and it's getting unbearable."

Coun Mike Barrett, of Earcroft Ward, said: "It is starting to become a real problem in the area because over the weekend there were two bus shelters and two phone boxes smashed up on the main road.

"It's systematic vandalism where teenagers and people in their early 20s get gratification from doing this sort of thing and I really feel sorry for the residents on Argyle Street who have to put up with it.

"I would urge people who know who is doing this to let the police know because they are making the area a nightmare and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage."

Coun Eileen Entwistle, Sudell Ward, said: "The garage attracts the children to the area because they have nothing better to do and they don't have as much to do as they used to.

"It's a society problem that's very difficult to sort out because things like this are happening all over the country."

To report acts of vandalism contact Darwen Police on 01254 701777.