RESIDENTS in a Westbury street are urging council bosses to help them combat a gang of children they claim are plaguing their lives.

The householders in Arundell Close say the antics of children as young as six have already forced one elderly couple to move away.

They claim the problem centres around a green owned by West Wiltshire District Council and are calling for it to be landscaped and ball games prevented immediately.

Unless the youngsters are forced to play elsewhere residents fear they will continue to face a barrage of abuse, swearing and footballs deliberately kicked into their gardens.

One householder said: "Nobody wants their names mentioned because one of the parents is particularly aggressive. We don't mind the occasional football coming across, but when you get kids screaming and shouting for eight hours that's a different matter. It's a sad situation when you've got six to 10-year-olds harassing you and their parents don't seem to care.

"I've had to put up a six foot fence and get planning permission just to get some peace and quiet."

Another resident said: "They were playing football outside an elderly lady's house and it was literally 60 times in one-and-a-half hours that the ball went into her property. We have been calling for this landscaping since February."

District council spokesman Louise Knox said: "We've had a look at it and don't really see that any kind of landscaping is going to solve the problem. It's something we can keep a watching brief on, but at the moment it's not a community safety issue."