An ongoing campaign of vandalism by unruly youths in Pitsea has cost £11,000 in repairs since October, it was revealed today.

But efforts so far to stop the youngsters have failed.

The library, council offices and leisure centre around Northlands Pavement have all been regularly targeted leaving a trail of destruction amounting to thousands of pounds.

Pitsea's police officers, shop owners and council officers have all been working hard to try to find a solution to the "mindless" crimes.

However, they say they are running out of ideas. Six new CCTV cameras have now been proposed for the area as police warn the situation is getting worse rather than better.

Land owners London and Cambridge Property said today it had paid out more than £11,000 since October in repairs.

Tom Stronach, the town centre manager who was brought in to help tackle the problems, said: "There is a severe social problem with the kids around here.

"They have no respect for themselves and certainly not for property. It is all just mindless vandalism.

"When they break windows and doors it is not to gain entry and steal things - they just want to be a nuisance."

Acting Sgt Richard Marriott, of Pitsea police, said the situation in Pitsea is proving to be the division's biggest fight.

He said: "We have upped the uniform police presence in the area and even put in plain clothes officers but it is not proving to be the answer.

"When we catch one they are put off but somebody else always takes over.

"The kids are just riding through the market on their bikes and throwing things to break the windows. It is just mindless vandalism. I was bored as a youngster and I didn't do this sort of thing so that is no excuse.

"This is our biggest problem at the moment."

Repairs - workmen get to grips with the latest outbreak of vandalism by repairing windows at the community council offices

Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.