Vandalism, car theft and anti-social behaviour were among the major gripes revealed to police who conducted a snapshot survey of residents today.

Officers in the North Bradford Neighbourhood Police Team, accompanied by Incommunities officers and a ward councillor, conducted a door-to-door survey in Lower Grange, Bradford, asking for views on what needed to be prioritised in the area, both in terms of crime and the environment.

More than 1,000 homes will be surveyed during the scheme which will also see a significantly increased police presence in the area over the next two months.

One elderly resident, who did not want to be named, said: “This is a forgotten area.

“People here are desperate for help but no-one seems to be doing anything.

“We have written to the Chief Superintendent with our concerns but nothing seems to get done.

“We are only now starting to see things happen here – five to six months ago the place was terrible.

“Children aren’t being children anymore. When I was young if I had been spoken to by a policeman I would have thought ‘I’m in trouble’, but they just don’t care.”

Susan Blacker a resident of Chaffinch Way, said: “One of the biggest problems is vandalism. This is quite a quiet area but we have had thefts from the garden and the fence broken down, what would be called anti-social behaviour. Just over the way there were four cars burned out recently.

“I like to see more police on the streets. It is quite reassuring.”

Alex Dilger, community development officer at the Lower Grange community centre, said: “Things are starting to improve here.

“We just received a £30,000 grant from Incommunities and we work with the police and council to discuss the concerns of the community.

“The neighbourhood policing has had an effect, anti-social behaviour is on the decline. People feel safer.”

Sergeant Andy Berriman, of the North Bradford Neighbourhood Police Team, led the operation.

He said: “We are aware that residents have concerns about issues such as anti-social behaviour on Lower Grange and we are determined to work with our partners to tackle them.

“We will be increasing patrols on Lower Grange over the coming days and working to gather intelligence about those causing persistent problems.”

Councillor David Servant (Con, Clayton and Fairweather Green) also took part in the operation.

He said: “I think this is a very useful exercise. The neighbourhood police teams do an excellent job. It is a very welcome sight to see police patrolling.”

Councillor Malcolm Sykes (Con), whose Thornton and Allerton ward is nearby, said: “This is a deprived area. It has not always been safe but the partnerships are doing an excellent job.”