YOUTHS lurking on the Thornhill Gardens estate in Leyton after dark are intimidating residents.

Those who live in the area say they are fed up with the group of five to 20 teenage boys who hang around night after night smoking can-nabis, drinking and giving out verbal abuse.

They believe the group known as the OC gang' are from Oliver Close, a nearby estate run by the Community Based Housing Association (CBHA).

In one weekend alone, the tyres of 11 cars were slashed and graffiti was scrawled across the walls. The residents fear that the youths carry knives and weapons.

One, who asked not to be named, said: "They will stay out there until 4am making a racket and being very intimidating to the public.

"Someone once asked them to leave and they turned around and said: If you don't go back inside your house and close the door we are going to smash your face in'.

"She then came and knocked on my door and she was very scared.

"I have spoken to a number of residents on the estate who said they do not want to go out after dark, and I am sick and tired of living with this problem."

Richard Southall, housing manager at L&Q Forest Homes which manages the estate, said: "We are aware there have been problems with a particular group of youths who have been coming on to the estate to cause trouble.

"They are not our residents, but a month or so ago we were able to identify a property where they were congregating and we closed it down.

"This seemed to curtail the anti-social behaviour for a while, but residents have now told us it has started up again.

"We would strongly urge our residents not to approach these youths. If there is an emergency situation they should call the police on 999, or else they can report anti-social behaviour to a member of L&Q Forest Homes staff."

The Leyton Safer Neighbourhoods Team is increasing patrols and CBHA is awaiting a police disclosure to identify the trouble-makers before taking the appropriate steps.

Roz Gordon, community development manager for the CBHA, said tenants can be evicted if someone associated with the household is causing havoc in the community, and anti-social behaviour contracts (ABCs) can be issued.

Ms Gordon said: "If you talk to people in Oliver Close they will say people from other estates are going over there.

"We have allegations from one estate about the other, but it is really difficult to identify who is who.

"Until we can have a positive identification, we do not have any proof, and when we do we can take action straight away."

Ms Gordon said CBHA hope to work with London and Quadrant to set up youth groups across the community and put an end to the territorial divide.