RESIDENTS driven to despair by tear-away teenagers have formed a new group to solve the problem.

The chairman of the newly formed Gardeners Residents Association Jackie Waring said people living close to Parker Street, Rishton, were fed up with abuse from gangs of under aged drinkers.

She slammed the council for not committing itself to finding what she sees as a perfect solution.

Mrs Waring argued a site owned by company Dunkenhalgh Estates, which currently leases land known as the Bottom Rec to the council for use as a recreational area, was a prime site for a community centre for the area's disaffected youth.

However, the lease runs out in 2004 and the residents association wants the council to buy the land from the company.

Mrs Waring, 57, of Parker Street, blamed the problem on the successful efforts by the police to move the youngsters away from the centre of Rishton, forcing them into resident's back yards.

Mrs Waring and a group of residents set the ball rolling in August and were delighted to find a packed audience of 60 people at the first meeting in the Free Gardener's Working men's Club, on Parker Street.

She said: " Car wing mirrors cars are damaged and paintwork is scratched, not to mention damage to flower pots and gardens. They also leave graffiti and empty bottles of alcohol by the bench where they sit.

"And they are so intimidating and sometimes there are as many as 50 of them. One elderly lady had eggs thrown against her windows and a pizza delivered to her door late at night."

She added: "We want the problem to go away and we believe a community centre on the field known as the Bottom Rec near Holt Street is the answer.

"The problem is, the Bottom Rec, which is leased to the council by Dunkenhalgh Estates will be sold off in 2004, probably to housing developers.

"But there is enough time to something about it now and the council are having a defeatist attitude when they tell us they are not going to but the land. Why can't they issue a compulsory purchase order?"

Area councils manager Steve Watson said: "The area council will continue in its on-going discussions with Dunkenhalgh Estates to see if it is feasible."

Chairman of Rishton area council June Butler said: "The land is not in good condition at the moment.

"But we want to restore the football pitch for the period until the lease runs out because we have an obligation to do something.

"As far as I know, but there is very little we we can do to purchase the land. "

And Inspector Steve Lee, who is responsible for Great Harwood, Rishton, and Altham said: "Rishton needs people with drive and determination like Jackie to put ideas into action."

"But feel everything is about cash nowadays and after all, the Bottom Rec is not our land.

"Rishton is small and there are a lot of young people here with nowhere to go so we support the efforts of the community. The solution must be something they really want for it to work.

"Everyone blames the children nowadays. But parents and grandparents need to take responsibility. They need to know if their children are causing misery to other people." A spokesman for the managing agents Dunkenhalgh Estates Ingham and York said: "The lease expires in 2004 and we shall consider what we do with the land closer to the time.

"My clients are sympathetic to the needs of Rishton but we have made no plans as of yet."