RESIDENTS of a troubled estate in York are taking action to bring to justice young louts who terrorise the neighbourhood.

Fed-up council tenants in St Stephen's Road and St Stephen's Square in Acomb, who say they have been plagued by nuisance youths, say they will start giving names of the main culprits to the council's tenancy enforcement officers.

Others said they wanted to use the bulk of their £11,000 cash allocation to improve security.

A meeting of the Cornlands Area Residents' Association took place yesterday , on the day the Evening Press told how Rick and Rosemary Berrie had fled their home in St Stephen's Road after suffering months of intimidation.

Julie Thirlwell, City of York Council's contract manager for Acomb, said she believed the meeting had been productive.

"After the main meeting, there was a separate discussion with about six or seven of those particularly involved in the nuisance issues.

"We are aware that there is a problem with nuisance in this area, but up until now, we have not had any robust information as to who these youths were.

"Some of our customers who were at the meeting said they would be ready to supply us with information on them.

"We would then be able to look at taking enforcement action by speaking to the parents, should they turn out to be council tenants."

During the meeting, residents said that the bulk of the £11,000 grant which the association receives from the council should be used to improve security.

Their efforts could centre on the four communal areas in the St Stephen's Road flats, which have become favoured haunts of nuisance youths.

Ms Thirlwell said the council and residents could consider making these areas more private, and perhaps adding security measures, which could be discussed at a later date.

Mr Berrie, who has moved to another part of the city but asked to keep his address secret for fear of reprisal, said he was not convinced.

"I wasn't at the meeting, but having heard what was said, I don't think they will stamp out the problem.

"Nothing will ever persuade myself and Rosemary to return to St Stephen's Road. There is always talk, but these kids are just too cocky and too crafty to be caught."

Updated: 16:50 Wednesday, July 04, 2001