Residents and traders told today how they were under siege by a large gang of youths they say are running wild at night.

People who live and work in Bolton Junction are calling for the police and Bradford Council to intervene before the situation gets out of hand. They have arranged an emergency meeting for next Tuesday to discuss their fears.

In the latest disturbance at the weekend officers from Eccleshill police station had to deal with a gang of about 60 youths after all the bus shelters at the junction and a phone box were smashed up.

Pardeep Devesher, who has run the Bolton Junction Newsagent for five years, said: "This is a good area but since the beginning of this year we've started to have a lot of trouble.

"All the kids gather on the old Morrisons supermarket car park at the weekends. We had our back window smashed last week and I know other shops have suffered the same fate.

"Our older customers won't come in on a night now.

"The police are trying their best but there's just not enough of them to cope. Last Friday you had three officers for about 60 kids. They were completely outnumbered."

Another shopkeeper, who didn't want to be named, said rocks had been thrown at her windows on two occasions. "It just gets worse and worse."

Shopkeepers will try to thrash out a solution with local councillors and police representatives next week.

Eccleshill Police Chief Inspector Phil Sedgwick said his officers could not simply arrest youths for gathering in an area unless they committed an offence.

He said: "We have been in discussions with Morrisons and they have agreed to take actions to stop youths getting on to to their property."

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