Gangs of young tearaways as young as nine wreak havoc in ‘warzone’ suburb

Frustrated residents say their once quiet suburb has been turned into a "warzone" by young tearaways.

The kids, some as young as nine, reportedly steal from shops, hit homes with eggs and steal cars for 'joyrides'. One group of youngsters allegedly stole a car and crashed into a parked Nissan Juke, demolishing the owner’s wall.

Locals from Wollescote, Stourbridge, West Midlands, say they can’t sleep and have had CCTV cameras installed to make sure their homes are safe.

Kevin Smith, 69, said: “We were in the conservatory and we heard an enormous bang. There was a car wedged in the side of mine. It was pretty horrendous. Someone could have been killed. We sent the CCTV to the police. The police have got a lot of stuff that they can use, but there’s no feedback from it.”

Neighbourhood police sergeant Nichola Chester said: “We are conducting regular patrols, the shops tend to be where these groups of children come to create a bit of havoc. Where we have identified those involved they have also been issued with relevant anti-social behaviour notices.”