Living in fear

Youths hanging about on Holts estate.

PETRIFIED residents on Holts Estate say they are “living in hell” after being terrorised by yobs weekend after weekend.

Urinating through letterboxes, drinking, drug-taking, shouting and banging on windows are commonplace from as early as 6pm right through to the early hours, claim householders on Curlew Road.

Concerned families, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisals, said they were alarmed over the police’s “nonchalant” reaction to their complaints.

When one young man decided to politely ask the gang to move from outside his home — because they were keeping his baby awake — he was badly beaten up.

Firefighters had to rescue one family who were stranded when vandals set their front door on fire.

They couldn’t escape because the key snapped in the front door, which had melted in the heat. Another Curlew Road resident said: “There are about 15 of them that just congregate outside every weekend.

“It’s not just kids, there are adults as well. I recognise some of them from the estate. We phoned the police — sometimes they turn up but they’re not bothered. It’s like they have a laugh with the gang. They don’t do anything. We have to clean up smashed glass every morning.”

Another resident added: “We’re absolutely petrified of living here. We’ve thought about moving house but we’ve spent so much money on our house getting it to look nice.

“We get verbal abuse all the time. I’m just living on the edge. We can’t relax, not knowing what they will do next. I can’t believe I haven’t had my windows put through. And the police — well we tell them things all the time and they’re just not bothered.

“We’ve got a neighbourhood officer but we can never get hold of her.”

A woman from Rowden Road said she is at the end of her tether with the “morons” and says the police need to “buck-up their ideas.”

“If I had the money to move I would, but I don’t, so I have to put up with it.

“I can defend myself but there’s a lot of youngsters living on fear in this estate. It’s not good enough.”

First Choice Homes said that the safety of its residents is paramount.

A spokeswoman said: “Two residents contacted us directly and were seen by the duty officer.

“Our contact centre, which is open until 8pm and where all calls are logged, has no record of any reports of the alleged events.”

The Chronicle understands that police were not alerted to all the incidents residents have complained about.

Inspector Alan Humphries, from Oldham West Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "Anti-social behaviour is an issue we take very seriously and we understand the impact it can have on the lives of residents.

"The Oldham West Neighbourhood Policing Team work extremely hard with the local authority and other partners to reduce anti-social behaviour in the area.

“We would urge anyone who has any issues to contact police and encourage them to raise their concerns at the many PACT meetings that regularly take place in the neighbourhood."