Drugs, vandalism and abuse have led Yeadon businesses and residents to rebel against a 40-strong mob of youngsters.

A meeting on Monday, planned originally as a low-key discussion between Yeadon Methodist Church officials and the police, spiralled into a major public debate when shopkeepers and residents demanded action to be taken against yobs.

However, the fear of intimidation and reprisals is so great that none of the 60 people at the meeting were willing to be identified.

Community constable John Heys heard how residents wanted action taken against the youths who they say have been on a rampage of vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

And a representative of Yeadon Methodist Church complained about gangs of youths putting off people going to the church.

"For some time the car park and grounds have been over run by an unruly crowd of teenagers aged 14 to 16," he said.

"The ground is littered with smashed bottles, cans and cigarette butts and the flowers have been trampled on.

"Our own people are intimidated if they use the car park, even on a Sunday, last week stones were thrown against the windows during sermons, windows are being smashed and one had a blow torch and tried to set fire to the bushes. We are desperate, our membership is suffering because people dared not come here. We do not want to take the law into our own hands."

The problem was highlighted by the gang of 20 youths loitering outside the church hall as people turned up for the meeting.

An official from the scout group said that parents were considering withdrawing their children, aged from six to 14, from the groups because of the intimidation.

"We have to regain our community, we cannot carry on like this in Yeadon," he said.

The crowd cheered at the suggestion that CCTV should be brought to Yeadon.

One businessman said: "The whole community of Yeadon is having these problems and we need to get our heads together and solve this. It is great that there is such strong feeling here. We need to see if we can get CCTV. We have had enough, we need some action. The yobs think it is a police-free zone. They know if we call them they won't come."

One man was concerned that there was a drugs element and that there had been reports of drug dealers coming into Yeadon.

There were calls for a bigger meeting with police chiefs and councillors to make sure the situation was tackled before people took the law upon themselves.

PC Heys said vigilanteism was not the answer and that youths misbehaving could be issued with anti-social behaviour orders.

"So far we have 35 names and we have been in contact with local youth workers," he said. "We have spoken to the youths about intimidation and if they do that then they could be prosecuted.

"If we speak to someone more than twice they will first get a letter from the police and the council will inform the parents about what has been happening. If they are then caught doing anything suspicious they could be targeted by an anti-social behaviour order."

The deputy head teacher from Benton Park school, Richard Hoban, said the school would work with the police and the community if there were any problems with its pupils.

"I am distressed to hear these things are happening. There are a lot of fantastic children in Yeadon and Rawdon and it is a very small minority causing people problems. I will pick these children off one by one. I will be holding assemblies over the next few weeks to raise these issues."

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