A PENSIONER told today how yobs are wreaking havoc in a village near York.

Sheila Huggins said she had lived at Skelton for more than half a century, playing an active role in the community, and she was disgusted by the way it had changed.

She claimed that at least four cars had been burned out over recent months in the village. In one of the car fires her sister-in-law's hedge was destroyed.

She said her own car had been stolen and later found dumped at Linton-on-Ouse, with its windows smashed.

"This has left us without any car, and we have worked all our lives and are pensioners who have paid our dues."

Mrs Huggins said kids had thrown bottles over hedges, set fire to straw in fields close to homes, let off fireworks in wheelie bins, broken windows, broken into the village church and thrown rubbish in the beck.

She said youngsters had been going around on a motorbike without helmets, on both local grassland and roads, and other people drove around in cars with loud music blaring out.

She claimed one resident had been woken at 2.30am by a hammer being thrown through his window.

At one time, everyone in the village had known each other and always had a kind word. "Now people don't want to speak and if they do it is nothing but abuse. It is not the village it used to be."

She said the aggressive and yobbish behaviour came not just from children but from "so-called grown-ups" in their 40s.

"So are the young ones going to bother about law and order? I don't think so.

"If grown-ups won't conform to the rules, the kids haven't got a hope in hell."

She said a pool room had been made available at a local club, but the table had been smashed up by two people "old enough to know better".

Skelton community officer PC Phil Arnold said long-term strategies were in place to reduce antisocial behaviour and foot patrols were being stepped up in certain areas across the city, including Skelton.

He said: "There's been a seasonal rise in antisocial behaviour right across the city, Skelton is not unique.

"Over the last few days and in the days around Bonfire Night we have targeted various areas with extra patrols, including Skelton, Rawcliffe and Clifton Moor.

"Antisocial behaviour is at the top of the Government's agenda at the moment because is it a national problem.

"It's very difficult to reassure individuals when they feel that they are being targeted or intimidated, but we are doing our level best to target areas where there is likely to be a problem. If people report repeated incidents to us we will alter our patrol strategy to take that into consideration."

Updated: 08:38 Tuesday, November 04, 2003