Children tread carefully on their way to school to dodge the minefield of broken glass, empty beer cans and cigarette ends. The appalling mess is the calling card of the teenage gangs that roam Gresham's streets until the early hours each day. Their intimidating presence forces residents to cross the street or stay locked in their homes to avoid the usual torrents of verbal abuse and threats. It is an all too familiar story, repeated in every big town and city in the country. But in Middlesbrough, residents, the police and council are hitting back to reclaim the streets and bring peace back to residents. Linda Mole, who has lived in the ward for more than 30 years, is Gresham Community Council's chairman. "We've had enough. There are a lot of gangs hanging around all along Parliament Road. I'm not saying they are all bad kids but they are very intimidating, especially to elderly residents," she said. "The main problem is at the community centre and school because so many people use it. Kids go to school that way too and there are always empty bottles of alcohol or smashed bottles outside. "People don't like to confront them because they will get threatened and verbally abused. Just a couple of months ago our cars were pelted with eggs when we parked in the community centre." The community centre is often littered with empty and smashed bottles of booze which children walking to nearby Ayresome Junior School must negotiate. Gresham ward councillors Ken Walker and Barry Coppinger worked closely with police to get the order off the ground which they hope will give residents some much-needed respite. Cllr Walker said: "These youngsters are creating an unacceptable level of fear in the community - fuelled by alcohol. I believe there are also drug issues linked with them. "We need to get the message across to parents and families as to what their children are doing when they allow them to stay out late at night unsupervised." Evening Gazette Our Say Related stories:
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