The day yobs stoned our playgroup

Minders at the centre, in Shelby Road, Durrington, refused to let 23 youngsters leave until officers arrived after dialling 999 when violence erupted outside shortly before 7.30pm last Tuesday.

Kids as young as four cowered in fear as they were ushered into the hut when stones and foul language rained in on them from three teenage boys outside.

The ordeal lasted 25 minutes as police held the thugs while volunteers took the frightened little ones home.

One parent, whose children are aged seven and nine and were "distressed" by the incident, called for extra police along Shelby Road to prevent a repeat of the violence.

She said: "I heard a lot of shouting outside. When my two came home they said, 'the police have been up here mummy, because those boys said they were going to kill us all at the play scheme'.

"I live close by but I can't relax. I find myself constantly looking up the road to check there aren't any kids hanging around. It's like something from the Bronx."

Pointing towards a glass window shattered by a BB gun pellet, she added: "The police need to come up here and put a stop to this. It seems like nothing will be done about it until something really bad happens."

Inspector Martin Pattenden said extra policing would be made available following the trouble.

He said: "There are some problems with youths when this group meets. Local people have asked for police to patrol the area as reassurance and I am happy to go along with that.

"There is anti-social behaviour of this nature and we are continuing to tackle it. The offenders won't necessarily be caught on the first occasion but we need local people to say who is doing what."

Organisers from the West Durrington Youth Project called it one of the worst incidents in the group's three-year history.

Parents pay 1 for children aged 12 and younger to play games, paint, draw and eat sweets for two hours every Tuesday.

Jenny Johnson, whose daughter Talya suffers with behaviour problems, said she was left badly shaken by the attack.

Mrs Johnson, 43, of Shelby Road, said: "Talya doesn't like loud noises. Usually she likes to go out and play with her friends after youth club but on this occasion she was very upset.

"If something happens to force this club to shut there would

be nowhere else for these kids to go. Apart from school, this is the only break I get. These yobs are just trying to spoil it for the younger ones."

Jessica Fuller, 14, was one of the helpers who looked after the group waiting for police to arrive.

Watching as children painted colourful butterflies, she said: "They were using the most appalling language and sticking their fingers up at us. Stones and bits of wood were thrown, anything they could get their hands on. We were all frightened something was going to smash through the window."