FURIOUS and frustrated residents are calling for action over a group of teenagers who are terrorising their town.

People living in Highworth are helping police to gather six months' of evidence against the gang, which is responsible for numerous incidents of vandalism, and threatening and anti-social behaviour.

They say their lives are being made a misery and that they get no response from the police, being told there is a lack of resources in the area.

Much of the time the town is patrolled by a single police community support officer, and residents are concerned for her safety without the back up of fully equipped officers in the town.

Highworth's highly respected community beat officer Martin Miles has been out of action since losing his leg in an off-duty motorbike accident in February.

As yet no replacement has been found, and just one constable and a PCSO currently serve the town when it should have four of each.

At a town council meeting this week, angry residents challenged Insp Steve Bridge, of Swindon police, and demanded action be taken to put a stop to the gang.

Postmaster and mistress Paul and Karen Burdett have only been in the town since October, having experienced similar problems with youths at their former post office in Gloucester.

An emotional Mrs Burdett said: "I have had this situation before and it ended up with hooded, masked people trying to rob the place.

"When the police do not respond to the everyday problems it gives a feeling that there is a soft touch which makes others feel they can try worse things.

"The business is up and running, but I'm not prepared to support the town if we get no protection - I would give up, close shop and move away."

Highworth town clerk David Lane, and Swindon Council's Highworth warden Steve Roberts regularly meet residents at the end of their tether who are afraid to leave their homes.

Mr Lane said: "There is a theme through everything that people tell me. Most of the complaints are about one group of kids targeting individuals in the town.

"They report it to the police, but nobody comes and sees them, they cannot get the police's attention in any way at all."

Mr Lane said that in most cases victims can name the gang members and can identify them, and that one resident had reported 69 incidents to the police but had only received one visit from an officer.

Mary Curley, of Edencroft, said her car was vandalised by a group of beer-drinking youths on Thursday, and on Friday she had things thrown at her door and windows. "They were vandalising and terrorising all weekend and as yet I've seen no policeman," she said.

Library manager Shirley Colbeck said that staff had been told not to waste the police's time by calling 999 when a gang of 30 youths ran into the library during a recent shift.

Insp Bridge assured residents that an advert had been placed to find a beat manager, that he had been cleared to move a PC from Wroughton to Highworth, and that a newly trained PC and PCSO would also be directed to the town in the coming weeks once their training had been completed.