kids being a nuisance

[debster]

We are having immense trouble with kids playing football and ball games outside our house. we live in council accomodation so it is not allowed but do their parents stop them? do they heck.
we have had our car damaged, there is a huge great football shaped scratch on one of the doors. i cant remember the amount of times they have hit the window with the ball and frightened the life out of the birds.
we have asked them and told them to stop on many occasions and all we get is a mouthful of abuse, we have even spoken to parents about it.
they never play outside their own house and the poor older man next door seems to be a target for them kicking the ball at his window, the walls are paper thin and all we can hear is thump thump thump, not nice when youre trying to watch tv or on a night shift and trying to sleep.
one of the culprits is a 17 year that lives next door the other side, all the others are far younger
well tonight hubby told him to stop playing football and all we get is a torrent of abuse, then his grandmother turns up and joins in and then his mother and sister
now we have always got on well with the family apart from this boys rubbish that he tells you and i have spoken to his mother before about it, and she acknowledged it, she even said it drives her mad yet does nothing about it,
we have had enough of the abuse and the thumping of the ball, we have legal channels open to us cos of the housing rules and regs but im a little reluctant to go down that route
has anyone else had this problem what did you do
i have no objection to kids playing outside its just the ball hitting cars and houses etc, and by the way there is a huge field with goal posts less then 5 minutes walk from our house

[debster]

[ACE]

We had it a few years ago. Spoke to the kids father, he just swore at me. So pick handle around his head. Sorted.

Sorry but it is all some of them understand, The police will not do anything but if the elderly gent is having trouble, report it. Adult abuse is taken a lot more seriously than damage to your property.

[betula]

I think you should report it to the council and the police.

Show them you are not afraid.They are trying to bully you.Fight back.

They face an eviction order if they do not tow the line.

Ring the paper,tell them elderly person is being treated like this.

Tell your MP.

[isbister]

We had this exact same problem. Talking to the scrotes and their parents got us nowhere. In the end we videod them at "play" and badgered the police until they sent someone round to watch it. Three of them were placed on a police complaints list ( whatever that is) but it stopped it completely and end of problem.  There is a clause in the road traffic act which states it a crime to play ball games on a public highway which causes interference to traffic. This gives you the right to video - because you suspect a crime is being committed and covers you from all that data protection/privacy rights nonsense. Find this online and quote it to the police.
Good luck - I know how seriously this affects your quality of life

[mrf94]

 Google ,,,mosquito sound...

[Bill Door]

Debster you have my sympathy. 

This will not work straight away but can you grow something like pyracantha (fire thorn) up against the wall.  It will take a good two years to establish.  Once established the ball will only bang into it once.

We had a similar problem against our wooden fence.  I now have three fire thorns outside and they don't like it.  I have not had to throw any balls back for a year.

good luck

Bill

[debster]

great idea Bill but sadly the wall is the front of our house and the main front room window
seriously considering electric fencing though
;D

[telboy]

Debster,
I have never experienced your sort of problems - but
-               The 17 year old seems to be the 'leader'.
-               Go out quietly & when the 'kids' aren't particularly involved or you join in the
                game to divert attention
-               Nut the 17 yr. old quickly & efficiently.
-               Carry on playing with the kids - RESPECT?

Worth a try?

[debster]

i like your style, i am in the process of sorting contacting who i need to speak to but with the easter hols ill have to wait til after then the 17 year has not been out there since and neither have the others yet they will return

[Fat Andy]

I used to have this problem in my old house so you have my sympathies.

In my case, after months and months of it, I lost my rag, grabbed the biggest of the kids, shoved him against a wall and threatened to rip his head off if I so much as spotted them near my house again.  10 minutes later his dad knocked on the door ready for a fight.  Fortunately, I was bigger than him which seemed to take his enthusiasm away  ;D

We ended up having a discussion about it and I apologised but after I explained what had driven me to it, the father was actually quite understanding and the problem disappeared overnight.

I can't recommend direct action because you could end up in trouble yourself but sometimes that's all these feral scum understand.  I would go along with other recommendations to keep badering the police, local press, MP etc not just for yourself but for the old guy next door and don't be put off until the problem is solved.

Good luck

FA x

[Moonbeam65]

It looks like you have no option but to go down the legal way of complaining to the council.
if you have a video camera film them playing football and keep a record of the times etc they are playing .
it would be good however to speak to other neighbours who are affected as well and get them to complain as well.

[debster]

well our neighbourhood is one where the person at no 1 sneezes and everyone knows about it in 10 minutes or less so im guessing the argument in the street is well known now there certainly have been no  kids playing in the street,
we did speak to another parent before who everyone has trouble with the child of and in fairness we have not had any trouble since so im watching with baited breath but have my diary and camera ready should the need arise

[debster]

well the kids all started playing footy again outside today so we asked them to stop and got called every swear word under the sun, even got told we had poisoned their cat (????!!!!!)
anyway enough was enough so i called the police to ask the community team to contact me which they will i was told as i expected that it was not a priority.
anyway within the hour a police car drove down the road and stopped to speak to the kids who at the time were not playing footie he also looked at our house on the way past anyway after the police had gone what did the kids do
started playing footie again :o ::)

[Hyacinth]

You did exactly the right thing, Debs 8)

Lish X

[sawfish]

approach their parents if they seem approachable.

[djbrenton]

I have just one word to say. Balaclava!

[betula]

Deb you have to be persistent in your fight.I went through an episode of a group of kids targeting me with abuse every time I went out.I can defend myself to a point.I am not exactly shy but it got to the point where I lost it one day and called the police.They said someone would get back to me.No one did.So I went to see my MP.Wow,within 48 hours I had so much police attention it was unbelievable.She also sent me copies of letters and emails that went between her and someone quite high up in the police force.
A lot of people in this village have had problems with this particular group of kids and A lot of people are afraid of them.We have a very low police presence in the village and this is now being worked upon.Things have gone quiet lately and I am keeping my fingers crossed.

My husband also managed to get the ring leader on his own and have a word in his ear,he was not such a big guy then.My husband never touched him but he got the message.

I also contacted the parish council.

The whole thing is really upsetting but you have to take the bull by the horns.
The parents of these kids do not care what their kids are up too.One of the good things that have come of this is a youth club has now been funded and is about to start in the village,hopefully it might give the kids something else to think about.

I think you have a big plus being in council property,if you can get the council involved tenancy's of the parents are under threat .

Good luck with it all.

[debster]

thanks for that Betula, well the police visited me on tues, got me out of bed when i was asleep after a night shift, i didnt even need to know all the childrens names he knew all of them, had regular dealings with them and everyone has already received letters to their parents complaining about their behaviour, he went straight down to speak to them all, he also told me that if this continues they are all not far away from having the problem escalated to being an anti social behaviour order situation.
so far the kids have not played outside at all long may it continue
he is also going to speak to the council because he is unsure as to whether the children are allowed to play ball in the street (even though we have received letters about it) because he says if it is not allowed the council has to put signs up, lets hope they do
well as they say watch this space ill keep you updated
had a really good chat with the 17 yr olds mum the other day she said she is sick of it all and the cheek they give you (her son is one of the worst) but at least were still on the same side  ;D

[cornykev]

Lets hope thats an end to it Debs.        ;D ;D ;D

[debster]

heres hoping im not a miserable buggar really, honest ;D