MORE than 100 youths are plaguing residents lives by making “petrol bombs” setting fire to bins and vandalising a Cefn Fforest park.

People living near Cefn Fforest Welfare Ground claim they have been stuck in a “living hell” for a year because of multiple incidents of anti-social behaviour every Friday and Saturday night when hundreds of teenagers descend on the park to drink and vandalise property.

The situation came to a head last weekend when up to 150 youths gathered on the welfare ground.

A 19-year-old woman from Blackwood was charged with a public order offence, and an 18- year-old man from New Tredegar was charged with a public order offence and resisting arrest.

Both were bailed to appear before Caerphilly magistrates on October 18.

A 17-year-old from Oakdale was reprimanded for theft after stealing a bag containing a camera from a police car, although the bag was immediately retrieved.

No arrests were made on Saturday.

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said officers would continue to patrol the area and are heading into local schools to tackle the problem.

Residents plan to petition Caerphilly council to close the park overnight.

Blackwood town councillor Andrew Farina-Childs, whose house on Twynyffald Road backs on to the welfare ground, said Friday night’s events were “abysmal.”

He said around 150 youngsters – some as young as 12 – gathered in the park to drink, leaving smashed glass all over the field, while some teenagers vandalised gates and fences of surrounding houses.

He said the youngsters returned on Saturday night, setting bins alight using “petrol bombs” made out of drinks bottles.

Cllr Farina-Childs said: “It’s more like Beirut than Blackwood. We want the park closed in the evening so my residents can get a quality of life back.”

One woman, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said last weekend was “horrendous”.

She said: “There are elderly people who live here on their own and it must be absolutely terrifying for them. I’m terrified our fence will be set on fire, or one of the kids will get hurt”

John Barbero, 69, who also lives on Twynyffald Road, said residents were frightened of approaching the youngsters.

He said: “I would certainly like to see it fenced off.”

Anybody with concerns can call the neighbourhood policing team on 01495 223966.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Trouble must be tackled

CEFN Fforest residents are quite understandably concerned about the regular mass gatherings of youths in a local park.

The problem is that when so many youngsters gather together in one place and alcohol inevitably gets added to the mix, the result is anti-social behaviour.

While we in no way want to demonise young people, there is no getting away from the fact that there is in many communities a minority of youths who cause trouble.

And while the majority of young people who turned out in the park last weekend may not have taken part in the trouble which followed, there was a group whose actions left a trail of broken glass, vandalised gates and blazing bins.

This minority appear to set out to cause mayhem with no thought for the consequences of their actions.

And they seem to have no idea that their actions have left law-abiding residents of the area terrified.

Several of the people who complained to us about the actions of this group did not want to be named or photographed for fear of reprisals.

This state of affairs which cannot be allowed to continue.

Police and the justice system must come down hard on the trouble makers.

And let’s hope that the decent youngsters involved realise that simply gathering in such numbers is asking for trouble and refuse to get involved.