A Bradford businessman is calling for nuisance teenagers, who have put elderly residents in fear, to be educated on the streets to change their behaviour.

Manoj Dayalji, 35, contacted police after a string of anti-social behaviour incidents by a gang of youngsters, which included the targeting of his property this week.

Mr Dayalji, who runs his own T-shirt printing business from the house in Lingwood Terrace, Girlington , said a number of residents, many elderly, had suffered but had been too afraid to complain. He said up to 20 youths, aged from their mid teens to about 20, had been responsible for the nuisance, which included minor damage to property, throwing eggs at windows and making a noise outside people’s homes late at night.

Mr Dayalji said: “The problems began with youths gathering in Lingwood Road and sitting on the walls of elderly people living on their own.

“People have said their car windows have been smashed, lampposts vandalised, and litter dumped in their gardens. I have encouraged people to tell the police, but they are scared.

“Girlington may not be Mayfair, but people living here shouldn’t have to live in fear in their own homes.”

Mr Dayalji’s property had eggs smashed against windows, cables ripped from walls and bags of rubbish strewn over the garden.

He said: “I am not scared. I will stand up to them out of principle.”

But he added: “These kids need educating. If we move them on they will just cause problems for somebody else. We need to get through to these guys with education and facilities.

They are not going to walk into a community centre, so we need to talk to them on the streets.”

Sergeant John Toothill, of Manningham and Toller Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “The idea of educating these youngsters is a great one and exactly the type of approach we want. We don’t just want to criminalise them.”