'Most vulnerable' targeted by yobs on Carlisle estate

Dead birds thrown into cars, children running in front of moving cars and vulnerable people left terrified are among a catalogue of disturbing incidents.

Raffles, to the west of the city, was once notorious for anti-social behaviour and in recent months there have been worrying signs that some want a return to those bad old days.

Other anti-social behaviour has included:

* Yobs hurling a dead bird into a stranger's car;

* Youngsters lobbing eggs at cars and people;

* People scrawling vulgar graffiti on walls and buildings;

* Youths deliberately dodging passing cars in the street;

* And teenagers clambering on to roofs.

The anti-social behaviour, which started last summer, is particularly bad during the school holidays but residents, led by Belle Vue county councillor and former Carlisle Mayor Christine Bowditch, have vowed to fight back.

Several locals contacted her to complain about children climbing on to roofs, and throwing objects at passing cars and people and running in front of vehicles.

She advised the residents to record the details of any such incidents and then tell the police.

“On one occasion a woman got out of her car and they got into the back of it,” she said. “That sort of thing frightens you to death.”

Mrs Bowditch also recalled another occasion when a dead bird was thrown onto the back seat of someone's car.

“It's just really, really nasty stuff,” she continued. “They tend to pick on the vulnerable particularly women and particularly women with children."

Mrs Bowditch and a small group of residents are now working with Cumbria Police, looking for positive ways to combat the problem.

Working with the social landlord Riverside, the community organisation Community Reach, YMCA, Carlisle Youth Zone and St Barnabas Church they are investigating at a range of programmes to keep youngsters of the streets.

These include a boxing club, football club and a mobile skate park.

Organisation is still in its early stages with more meetings planned in February.

Mrs Bowditch hopes parents in the area will step in to support the activities along with off-duty police officers. In the meantime, the police plan to man a police desk part-time in Shady Grove Police Station for a trial six months with Police Community Support Officers.

The police will hold joint surgeries with Mrs Bowditch at the police station where people can drop in to express their views and ask for assistance.

Mrs Bowditch said she hoped the surgeries would foster a greater sense of community in Raffles.

She added: “We are hoping all this will be successful.

“A resident said to me that they [the people involved in the antisocial behaviour] were trying to turn the estate back into the old Raffles, which had such a bad reputation. Well we won't let them, with the support of the community we'll keep Raffles the good and safe place it is today.”