VILLAGERS are threatening to form a vigilante group to deal with a gang of yobs who went on a trail of destruction through their Hamp-shire community.

Angry residents are considering taking the law into their own hands to drive the vandals out. They want to go on patrol armed with golf clubs in a bid to scare off the teenagers, whose latest attack damaged three cars, burnt out a van, uprooted a bus stop and smashed up three garages.

Councillor Steve Cosier, who represents North Baddesley, says he has been approached by several people who were willing to take part in street patrols.

Residents in the once peaceful village are demanding action is taken against those responsible and are calling on more police presence to stop the repeated vandalism.

A police spokesman said they were aware of the problems in the village which were already receiving attention but the residents are not convinced.

Woken Sandra Reid, 38, woke up to find her car a write-off after vandals, some as young as 14, broke into it and took it for a joyride before smashing it into a row of garages in Willis Avenue.

She said: "There are a group of around 20 of them who hang around here every Friday and Saturday night hurling abuse and smashing things up. It has got very bad around here and the police are not doing anything about it.

"I need my car to get to work in Romsey but now I am going to have to find other means of transport as this car is going to have to be scrapped. I'm fed up with it."

One elderly resident, whose garage was damaged by the stolen car, did not want to be named for fear of reprisals.

He said: "They congregate outside my house every weekend and cause trouble. It's a ruddy nuisance. I want the police to issue a dispersal order so they can't congregate in their 10s and 20s. They don't seem to be doing anything to help us. I have called the hotline a number of times to complain but nothing seems to be done about it."

Cllr Cosier has been writing numerous letters to Hampshire police about the increased vandalism and antisocial behaviour in the village but says he has had no response.

Sick of it' He said: "I get calls every week from residents saying their cars or properties have been vandalised but the police don't want to know. We have just had enough of it and I am sick of it.

"We have a huge problem with anti-social behaviour in the village and it has got increasingly worse in the past two months."

David Minton, 28, has had to call the police two weekends in a row because of the increasing antisocial behaviour. He said: "This weekend they broke into my car and last weekend they started smashing up the pavillion in the park.

"I have had to stay in two Saturdays in a row to wait for forensic officers to come round and it is doing my head in. We all know where it starts. It starts in the park with them drinking every Friday and Saturday night and then they go round smashing things and stealing cars. It's the same group of kids every week but the police are not doing anything about it."

A Hampshire police spokesman said: "We certainly strongly advise any resident not to take the law into their own hands as they could potentially find themselves facing charges.

"The best advice any resident can take is to try to help us identify any offender by providing descriptive information to the police and with details of any act engaged in."