A Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator claimed today she was cautioned by police for alleged harassment during problems with teenage yobs on a council estate.

The middle aged woman - described as a churchgoer and a pillar of society - was a founder member of the anti-crime group on the Allerton estate.

But she claimed to have been cautioned by police for alleged harassment after being accused of verbal abuse by a teenager she believed to have a role in trouble on the estate.

Now the Neighbourhood Watch has split up, claiming there has been little support from police and that members had simply been told to "cool it" as they suffered a two-year nightmare of vandalism, noise and disturbance.

But today Inspector Steve Reed, of Toller Police, said: "All reports to the police of anti-social behaviour and nuisance are treated very seriously and thoroughly investigated by the police who act promptly and professionally on all reports.

"There is a facility available to the police where members of the public who are unhappy with the service can take their concerns.

"Police act on evidence available and clearly there is often more than one side."

The former co-ordinator, who claims she was dubbed along with other helpers as a "neighbourhood witch", said she would never recover from the shame and was on tablets from her doctor.

She said: "I have a good job and I have never done anything wrong. I simply can't get over it."

Her husband said: "The police came to the door and I brought her down in her night gown. She is involved in the church and has never done a thing wrong."

But director of housing Geraldine Howley said the Council was stepping up legal action against nuisance tenants after trouble flared at the weekend.

She said a repossession notice and anti-social behaviour order had already been served on one council property. "We will now be stepping up legal action."

Mrs Howley said it had originally been hoped to settle problems through the Council's estates mediation service but there had been further problems at the weekend.

Today, residents and former members of the neighbourhood watch welcomed the Council's action but claimed they had received little support from the police, who seemed to treat them as participants in the trouble.

Residents said they had recently been victims of hoaxes, with taxis and pizzas turning up which they had not ordered.

They said one resident had had rubbish dumped outside their house and one woman's car had been taped up so she could not get into it. In the latest incident a fire engine turned up after a hoax call to the station.

Sid Shawmarsh (pictured), of Ayresome Oval, said: "There are people here who have eaten the Council alive and broken every rule in the tenancy book. I have lived here for 30 years and this will bring me to an early grave.

"We have put up with two years of abuse and vandalism and been told to be patient and not provocative, but we have had enough.''