Hi CB

You are not alone, and I fully sympathise with your position.

We have had a lot of similar problems in the last year in the flats where I live. We do have the advantage that the land is private property, but it has been difficult to get the police very interested since (by and large) no lasting damage is done. However, it is undoubtedly intimidating to have half a dozen or more youths congregating and smoking dubious substances, particularly since on occasion they have been in stairwells where the noise reverbarates.

For the moment we seem to be largely free of it, apart from the odd infiltration. I did speak to a few of them one sunny day when I felt less threatened and tried to explain the error of their ways without sounding too patronising. They tried to be cheeky but really were fairly harmless and retracted as soon as challenged. I think the problem is that as the groups grow larger, bravado creeps in and the dynamic changes. Although I am a fairly large character I wouldn't directly challenge a group of any size, especially not after dark.

We considered options like putting gates on the drive, but none of us really wants to live in a prison, aside from the hassle of letting valid visitors, postman, binmen etc in. We also spoke to the Safer Neigbourhood team who did patrol a few times but by their own admission were very overstretched. The basic position seemed to be that if we thought a few lads was bad we should try Deptford of a Friday night! We were however told that we should make a point of all phoning the police to report incidents as that will help escalate things. However overall my experience so far is that the police rarely respond, although plenty adminstrative staff phone asking your ethicity and religion!

On the one occasion we finally managed to get the police here a number were taken away for the drugs in their possession and it has been better since then. However, I guess in the end it is rather like moving a flock of birds...they will simply 'roost' elsewhere and I am sorry that at present it is outside your house!