Mums' Army: Stories of antisocial behaviour

One week after having a heart operation, Mick Neave was taking his rubbish out when he noticed a gang of youths in the street.
One of the boys shouted: 'What the **** are you looking at?'
The yob raced over and struck him on the arm with a length of wood.
Mick, 57, of Darlington, County Durham, told Mums' Army: 'When I straightened up, he hit me again. Then I saw another youth coming towards me and I lashed out with my fist, which caught him in the face. Thankfully that was enough to scare them off.
'Half an hour later I felt a pain in my chest and reached for the heart-monitoring device on my belt. That's when I realised it was missing. The police think the boys stole it during the attack because it looks like an iPod or mobile phone.
'I'm supporting Mums' Army because although the kids on my estate are kind and well-behaved, not all youngsters are being taught respect.
'When you can't even put the rubbish out for fear of being mugged, you know things have got out of control.'
Mick Neave,
Darlington,
County Durham
Tel: 07780 787699

When Sue Luckham saw a young lad staring at her cat, she smiled and said: 'That's Tigger. She's very friendly, you can stroke her if you want.'
In response the boy glared at her and said: 'I hate cats. I'm going to kill it.'
A shocked Sue, 55, of Poole, Dorset, contacted Mums' Army and said: 'The children in this area have no discipline. Kids roam the streets with catapults, breaking windows with stones and attacking pets.
'The language they use is disgusting and the police have made a series of drug raids.
'Children aren't born bad. But I'm worried that if they don't get the support they need, they will grow into adult yobs. I'm working with the council to set up facilities for them.
'I want to give the kids something positive to do and help them to learn skills that will benefit them later in life.
'I'm joining Mums' Army because I can't do it alone. Tackling antisocial behaviour isn't just a job for the police. If we want a safer community we have to do our bit too.'
Sue Luckham,
Poole, Dorset
E-mail: sueluckhamstt@aol.com

The walls of the flat shuddered and Maureen Stucky winced as the dreaded noise came again.
Bang, bang, bang. A gang of teenage yobs were pounding on her front and windows.
Maureen, 48, of Sea Mills, Bristol, called the Mums' Army Hotline and said: 'They'd been doing it for weeks but whenever I called the police they just acted as if I was wasting their time and said: 'What's the matter now?'
'I went to my bedroom and waited for the noise to stop. When I came out I realised why the kids had gone - my front door was on fire.
'By the time the fire brigade turned up I'd extinguished the flames myself but they still took me to hospital as a precaution.
'The police said that the fire had destroyed any evidence, so the kids got off scot-free.'
Maureen added: 'I'm not the only one around here these yobs have terrorised. A friend of mine, who's blind, moved away after they broke into her flat, pushed her to the floor and stole £500.
'Since all this happened, I've been rehoused. But antisocial behaviour is everywhere. I'm joining Mums' Army because something must be done.'
Maureen Stucky,
Sea Mills, Bristol
Tel: 0117 968 8889

When Michelle Weston heard shouting outside her home, she rushed to see what was going on. Opening her front door, she found her neighbour leaning against a fence clutching his stomach and moaning in pain.
Michelle, 31, of Thorntree, Middlesbrough, explains: 'He had two black eyes and his nose was bleeding. He told me he'd gone outside to confront a group of lads after one of them spat in his little girl's face.
'Instead of apologising, they hit him, shoving him to the ground and taking it in turns to punch and kick him before fleeing.
'His wife made five calls to 999 but it took seven hours before they sent someone round. At hospital an X-ray showed that his nose was broken.
'I'm disgusted that it took the police so long to arrive. The same boys who beat up my neighbour hang around outside our local shops in the evenings. None of them are over 16 but the shopkeepers and customers are all terrified of them.
'I'm joining Mums' Army because I've got four young kids and I'm determined to make this a better place for them to grow up.'
Michelle Weston,
Thorntree, Middlesbrough
Tel: 07891 775169

Danielle Lewis stared in horror at the glittering shards of glass spread across her living room floor. Her eyes also fell on the red brick lying amongst them. That was what had just smashed her front window.
She called the police.
‘My home is being targeted by yobs.’ She said. ‘Please, can you help us?’
They responded by installing a panic alarm in Danielle’s front room. But still the thugs continued to intimidate her family without fear of retribution.
Danielle, 25, of Grimsby, Lincolnshire, called the Mums’ Army Hotline. She told us what was happening in Duke Street, just round the corner from 125 Rutland Street - identified by us as the Worst Address in Britain.
She said: ‘Teenagers sit on my husband’s car smoking and drinking alcohol. When we ask them to move they refuse and start shouting abuse at us.
‘One night I caught them attempting to steal my little girl’s pet rabbit from the back garden. I can’t even leave washing on the line for fear that it’ll be stolen.
‘Everything has been reported to the police but they say we need evidence, so we’ve installed three CCTV cameras outside our house.’
She added: ‘I’m joining Mums’ Army because I don’t want to be forced out of my home. They should relocate the families who cause this chaos – not us.’
Danielle Lewis,
Grimsby, Lincolnshire
E-mail: groovychick_23@hotmail.co.uk