to be protected

by ISABEL COE

Youngsters are making an East Finchley estate hell for residents, who have complained of constant abusive behaviour, noise and intimidation.

Edward McGee, of Stable Walk, Strawberry Vale Estate, says he is regularly threatened, shouted at and knows of neighbours who have been physically attacked by youths who congregate in his road and in Brook Walk.

'There is mindless vandalism going on,' he said. 'You walk round the estate and there are very young children running around here at 1am out on their own. There are gangs of them hanging around, screaming and shouting well into the night.

'They are making people's lives hell, especially for elderly people here.'

In desperation, he has gathered signatures from his neighbours for a petition, which he presented to the estate's housing association ,, the Peabody Trust. But he says they have done nothing.

'They have been managing the estate for 18 months but they may as well be in New York. I want them to take a more robust attitude to anti-social behaviour. It will be half-term soon and then it will be hell on earth here.'

A spokeswoman for the trust said. 'We are looking into Mr McGee's complaint as a matter of priority.'

She added the trust already runs a youth club and homework club for young people on the estate and has just launched a major £2.4million improvement programme which will include creating new play areas, stepping up security and landscaping some of the communal areas.

our estate