Police have launched a crackdown on rowdy youths who are running riot outside an Ingrow surgery.

Residents living near Kilmeny Surgery, in Ashbourne Road, claim their lives are being ruined by nightly rampages by up to 40 teenagers.

The foul-mouthed yobs are said to gather to drink alcohol, swear, attack children, damage property and engage in group sex.

They treat the surgery as a playground by running across the roof, kicking balls in the car park and playing "chicken" on Ingrow Lane.

Following numerous complaints from residents in Ingrow Lane and Exley Avenue, Keighley police has sent in its Community Action Team.

The group of officers, which is led by a sergeant, targets local hotspots of anti-social behaviour.

Keighley police spokesman Allan Gee says that in the case of Kilmeny Surgery the team has visited several times over the past few weeks.

"They have confiscated alcohol from youths who have been in the vicinity and have been in touch with parents," he says.

"Until this problem is resolved they will deal with it on a regular basis. They will deal very positively with any problems that come to light.

Despite the police attention, residents say the problems are continuing with incidents over the last few days.

One pensioner says the nightly damage includes bending fences, stealing plants, breaking lights, ripping tiles off the roof and kicking balls at nearby houses.

She says: "It's carried on for months and months. They're playing football all the time. It starts about 7pm and goes on until 10.30pm.

"It's time to stop it because we can't do anything about it.

"I'm poorly, I'm going into hospital, I can't rest at night. I've had enough - I'm depressed."

A man living nearby says his children cannot play outside their homes because the youths swear and throw bottles at them.

He adds: "They come round drinking cider and vodka. My neighbour had his car away by them to joyride.

I can't park my car here because they vandalise it. I have to park it a few minutes' walk away.

"We're getting nowhere with the police. They say they're busy and the earliest they can get to us is the next day.

The man's neighbour says: "It's just boisterousness. When they're together they don't give a monkeys about anybody."

Mavis Clarkson, the practice manager at Kilmeny Surgery, this week visited nearby residents to gather information on the extent of the problem.

She says: "They're making a lot of noise, they're drinking and we've had reports of them having group sex."

Leave my premises alone, pleads owner Page 5