POLICE were called in to a York suburb to deal with gangs of youths.

North Yorkshire Police say that on Tuesday night (August 2) officers were called to numerous reports around the Foxwood area of York, including anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and assault and that investigations are still ongoing.

A police spokesman said: "Large groups of young people were seen running from officers after being in the area.

"This is very concerning and parents of those identified will be contacted.

"We'll be working with partner agencies including City of York Council to deal with this situation and those involved.

"We'd please ask parents to make sure you know where your children are and what time they will be home.

"If you suspect they might be involved in ASB, please speak to them as this behaviour creates real concerns for the local community and we want to make sure everyone can feel safe in their homes.

"A dispersal authority for the Foxwood area is in place which gives us powers to disperse anyone from the area and this could result in arrest and prosecution if breached.

"Let's all work together to keep our local community safe."