POLICE met with key members of the Hordle community last night to discuss its continuing problems with antisocial behaviour.

Gangs of teenagers have vandalised shops and village facilities, intimidated residents and barricaded councillors into meetings on more than one occasion.

About 25 affected people accepted invitations to the behind-closed-doors event at Hordle Sports Pavilion in Vaggs Lane.

Penny Lovelace, owner of Classic Cuts in Stopples Lane, demanded action after eggs and cream were repeatedly thrown at her shop window.

After the meeting, she said: "It was really positive. The police said they will work as closely as possible with us and if anything happens they want us to phone and let them know about it. They will also be asking the youngsters what they want and get things done for them."

Other people invited to the meeting included representatives from Hordle Parish Council, New Forest District Council, the local Women's Institute, flower arranging club and Cubs.

Insp John Heath of Lymington and New Milton police said: "The big issue was to learn the true level of problems in Hordle.

"The fear of young people and the fear of crime is great but there is much less in the reality."

Peter Smith, chairman of Hordle Parish Council's Amenities Committee, said: "I think both sides learnt points which were not particularly obvious to them before. The police were quite frank and members of the public gave their worries and concerns."

The doors were locked throughout the two-hour meeting and a small number of teen-agers gathered behind the rear of the hall.

Darrol Hoole, 16, told the Daily Echo: "There's not a problem. There's just nothing to do. There's nowhere to go. If we sit up the rec we get told to go and if we go somewhere else they just keep moving us on."

The public can attend a meeting of Hordle Parish Council's Amenities Committee at the Sports Pavilion in Vaggs Lane at 7.30pm next Monday to discuss the issue.