PENSIONERS feared for their lives when a party in a block of flats got out control.
Residents of Gamuel Close said they repeatedly called the police, who took hours to turn up and disperse revellers believed to be attending a birthday celebration.
A 64-year-old, who asked not to be named for fear of being targeted, said she feared for her life at the height of the problems on Saturday night (July 17).
She said she was trapped in by youngsters surrounding her bedroom and the front door of her flat.
She said: “I couldn’t get out. They were near my bedroom window. My neighbour said my life was possibly in danger. It was absolutely awful.”
When the woman arrived home at about 9pm she said there were 20 youths around her bedroom window.
She then called the police when she noticed her CCTV camera had been ripped off the wall.
As the evening progressed more young people arrived and begun getting rowdy.
The woman said that youths were drinking, smashing bottles, shouting and blocking residents’ cars in.
“We were informing each other about how dangerous it was getting,” she said.
“On three occasions a police car came in then went back out but didn’t disperse them. By 11.30pm there were 40 or 50 youths.
"The entrance to the estate was jam-packed. I was petrified because I am in the first flat near the entrance.
"We were desperate for help. The police eventually came in four vans and six police cars. They made rows to push the youths out of the close.
“Why did the police take that long before they realised this was going to escalate? I am amazed someone wasn’t killed. There were 60 to 70 youths at the end and there are only 22 flats here.
“The housing association has asked if I would like to be rehomed. But I don’t want to leave. I have lived here for 30 years.
"I have never been in a position where I have been so terrified.”
The Guardian is awaiting a response from the police.
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