STREET LIFE: Bond Street resident Scott Harvey-Davies (16292)PROSTITUTES on street corners, vandalism and drunks are forcing people living on a crime ridden street to think of moving.

Bond Street in Trowbridge has become a mecca for criminals and the families living there are fed up with being the victims.

Scott Harvey-Davies and his wife Alison were shocked when a friend visiting them early one evening was approached by a vice girl in the street in broad daylight.

Mr Harvey-Davies said: "He was stopped by a blond woman who said 'are you here for sex?' It has taken us about a year to get rid of the drug dealers around here so this is the last thing we need."

Lorraine Penelhum, 47, said she is worried the problem will get worse unless something is done about it.

She said: "I think it brings the street down, it brings the house prices down. It isn't nice. It's not something anyone wants on their street.

"The biggest thing that worries me is that it is going to bring in the wrong sort of people, like drug dealers.

"Are we going to be finding condoms and needles in the street?"

The street is used as a through route for people returning from a night out in the town centre and most people living along the street have been the victims of drunken vandalism.

Barbara Coombs, 46, has had her car targeted repeatedly, with wing mirrors snapped off, aerials bent, paintwork scratched, windows smashed and her car radio stolen.

She said: "It is just mindless and it is very depressing and then you have the cost of putting things right."

Mr and Mrs Harvey-Davies have also had their car vandalised.

Last year, the front of their house was set alight by an arsonist.

Their neighbours, Gary and Vanessa Gent, are considering moving because of the problems.

"Mr Gent, a self-employed painter and decorator, recently lost £300 worth of tools after his car was broken into outside his home.

Mrs Gent said: "This area is terrible now.

"We have people coming down here fighting and taking it out on the cars.

"I am actually thinking about renting out the house and moving, it has just got so low around here."

The police are aware of the problems and have stepped up patrols in the area.

Inspector Glynn Hookings of Trowbridge police said: "It is part of our patrol route to try and deter and detect crimes and we have made a number of arrests up there."

Mr Harvey-Davies said: "This part of town is just going completely downhill and no-one seems to care about it."