ANTI-SOCIAL gangs of children as young as TEN are making a town centre once named "one of the most desirable” places to live a no-go zone for terrified residents.

Their behaviour has become such a menace that cops have been forced to put dispersal orders in place in the town centre and surrounding residential streets to stop youths from lingering.

The order, which has been in force for the past two weekends in Caldicot, Monmouthshire in Wales, gives police officers extra powers to move the youths on and arrest them if they return.

Gwent Police's crackdown follows a long summer of tension in the town caused by the gangs’ wrecking sprees and threatening behaviour.

In one incident, a shop worker who challenged a group of teenagers after they climbed on her store roof was photographed by the gang and told they would put the images online and accuse her of being a paedophile.

At other times, young thugs regularly overturn plant boxes that decorate the streets, smash shop windows and terrorise locals.

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They are often “high” on drugs, including skunk and so-called “hippy crack” nitrous oxide, which they buy in silver canisters that they later discard in public areas.  

The behaviour of the small but significant group has left many adults in Caldicot, including several who we interviewed, too scared to leave their homes after 3pm, when the youths start filing out of school to look for trouble in the town.

One, retired steel worker Melvin Harris, 76, and his 74-year-old wife, Kath, said: “There’s not a cat in hell’s chance we’re leaving the house after 3pm. It’s just not safe any more.”

Mr Harris said: “These kids are out of control. They have no boundaries and they respect no one. Our granddaughter had a football match this weekend and we went to watch her, but as soon as the game started, we could hear a bunch of youths shouting and doors slamming.

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“So I went to investigate and found a group of them in the toilet block. They were smashing the doors in and making a hell of a racket. When I told them to stop they swore at me and told me to mind my own business. They’re completely lawless. It ruined what should have been a lovely afternoon.”

Another local, who asked to be known only as David, said the youths regularly tell anyone who tries to interrupt their antisocial behaviour to “f… off”.

The 66-year-old, said: “They are making everyone in this beautiful little town’s life a misery.

“I think there are probably only 20 or so of them in little groups of five or so at a time, but they are causing so much misery here. It’s heartbreaking.

“They tip the flower containers over every night outside the library and in the streets, they smash windows and anyone who dares challenge them is given a real mouthful. They use words I’m not going to repeat but they begin with the letter F and end with Off.

“Some of them are young – I’d say as young as ten in some cases and none of them seem older than 14 or 15, but they’re making the town an awful place to live.”

Eight years ago, in 2014, the postcode that covers Caldicot – NP26 – was awarded fourth place in a Royal Mail study of the “most desirable” places in Wales to live to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the launch of postcodes in the UK.

The town, which was once under Roman occupation and has a Norman castle, is just a few miles from Chepstow, where author JK Rowling was brought up.

During the summer holidays, according to locals, the gangs kept themselves busy shinnying up drainpipes and trees in order to climb onto the roof of the town’s Original Factory Shop.

'OFF THEIR HEADS'

Mother-of-two Tasha, 35, who did not want to be photographed for fear of reprisals, said the secondary school the gangs attend – when they are not playing truant – is known locally as “the school for ASBO (Anti-Social Behaviour Order) kids”.

Tasha said: “That’s where they all go and I guess they’re all trying to impress each other by behaving as badly as they can.

“They’re young so the police can’t do anything to them, the teachers can’t touch them and the parents don’t care.

“Maybe they’re bored, but why should everyone have to put up with it?”

Another local, Ceri, 36, said: “If they were my kids they’d be in serious trouble.”

She added: “They’re getting worse and worse. When you walk near them, the smell of whatever they’re smoking is overpowering. My friend who knows about these things says they smoke skunk and it sends them off their heads.

"They inhale gas from these canisters too, then chuck them win the ground when they’re done with them for the council to pick up next morning. Some mornings, the canisters are everywhere.

“They tip the flower boxes over and deface benches. This town used to be a wonderful place to live but these kids are making it really miserable to be here.”

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The dispersal orders have been effect for the last two weekends, beginning at 6pm on Fridays and remaining in place until 6pm on Sundays.

The orders cover the areas of Caldicot Castle, the town centre and residential streets nearby.

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