FRIGHTENED Cattistock villagers say youths are terrorising their once peaceful rural community.

Residents are fed-up with yobbish behaviour and serious crime being committed by youngsters of West End House and Bungalow – a children’s home run by Dorset County Council’s children’s services.

One homeowner said he had been burgled and a number of items and glass panels smashed.

Neighbourhood Watch member Herbert Allen, 66, of Meadow View, said the raid was the latest in a rash of escalating problems caused by the youngsters.

Mr Allen said: “We are afraid to go out and leave the house. They cause havoc and couldn’t care less.”

Fellow villager Gloria Eveleigh, 72, said a bus stop had been daubed with graffiti and the local cricket pavilion had had its windows smashed in. She said: “They are responsible for most of the problems we have had in the village. It has got a lot worse.”

Another pensioner, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I know they have got to to live but it’s just a shame we have got to have it in the middle of us.

“It’s mostly elderly people in the village and we don’t want to be living in fear all the time.”

Steven Jeffrey, 56, lives opposite the home and said a neighbour saw one of the youngsters trying to get into his car parked outside his house.

He said: “I don’t want to be sat in my house worrying about what is going on outside and having to get up and look out of the window every time I hear a noise.”

The local parish council organised a special village meeting last night to discuss the problems.

A Dorset County Council spokesman said: “We have spoken with a number of neighbours within the Cattistock community about their concerns and officers from Dorset County Council, Dorset Police and Magna Housing will meet with residents to discuss these issues further.

“This is the first significantly difficult period in nearly five years of being in Cattistock, and we want to work with the community to resolve the matter.”

Inspector Les Fry of Dorchester Police said: “The home at West End is a well-run and efficient home for children but unfortunately over the past few weeks we have had a number of incidents which have related to residents at the home.

“This is not normal with this home and I understand the individuals concerned have been moved away.”