Vandals 'run riot' at block of garages
Action needs to be taken at a vandalism hotspot on a Northampton estate before a serious incident happens, residents have warned.
Youths have been "running riot", starting fires and flytipping at a block of 45 garages off Woodside Way, Kings Heath.
A six-foot metal fence preventing access to the garages has been ripped down and yobs have left a trail of destruction.
Items, including burnt out sofas, clothes and broken CDs, have been strewn across the yard between the two rows of garages and paint has also been splattered on the ground.
Firefighters were called to the location on Sunday after an arson attack and then again at about 8pm on Tuesday.
Steve Houghton, aged 45, of Woodside Way, said the owner, Northampton Borough Council, needed to stop the youths from entering the premises.
He said: "They have got to do something with the garages because the kids are running riot and if they continue then something serious is going to happen.
"It is not right – those garages are dangerous and will continue to be unless the borough council does something."
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said the answer was not closing down the garages.
He said: "The kids are always down there causing trouble but the question as to what to do is a hard one to answer."
Some of the garages have been used to store people's possessions but they have been broken into and the belongings have been vandalised and thrown about the yard.
Sarah Holdings, aged 33, of Woodside Way, said: "It looks disgusting, it's horrible and I wish they would sort it."
A borough council spokesman said the authority was aware of the problems and added: "We are in the process of reviewing the usage of garage sites across the town."
In February, 70 people were evacuated following a major fire at Paget House in Woodside Way, leading to calls for a full-time warden to be based at the site.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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