RESIDENTS have made a plea for help to councillors and police to tackle a crime-blighted alley in Prestwich.

People living in Daneshill on the Polefield estate want authorities to end their misery which has led to 24 anti-social incidents reported to police since February.

Residents want gates installed on either side of the alley, linking Daneshill and Polefield Road, as troublemakers use it for a cover of darkness and a quick escape route.

Police records show that, in February and March, there were eight recorded incidents, mostly relating to yobs targetting one family, who were attacked and racially abused.

The problem spread in April, with four reports of youths gathering in the alley, smashing up fencing, garden sheds and spraying graffiti.

In May and June there were three more calls to police as yobs tried to set alight trees and a fence.

Trouble was at its worst in July when there were six complaints to officers of youths ripping down fencing, smashing glass and throwing apples at houses.

There were no reports in August or September, but three more incidents were reported in October, when a youth was assaulted and fireworks were thrown. St Mary’s ward councillor Vic D’Albert spoke at the full council meeting on November 5, asking why his request for the alley to be gated hadn’t been dealt with in the last year.

At the meeting, he said: “We have been patient enough. Families are being racially abused, and this is getting worse. What do I tell them? How long do people have to put up with this behaviour? We need solutions.”

Councillor Sam Cohen, executive member for safe and secure communities, said: “Not everybody is in favour of alley gating.

“People use alleys to go to the shops and for children to go to school. If we gate them off, people have to walk out of their way.

“I sympathise — we have 60-70 applications in for gating — but I am not going to recommend to executive a policy that is flawed.”

There are, however, private concerns among councillors that the council will not allow alley gating because it would prove too expensive as groups like the Ramblers’ Association challenge applications to close rights of way, sometimes forcing costly public inquiries.

One female resident of Daneshill, who asked not to be named, said: “It is really bad and a lot of people have considered moving out just for an easy life.

“Part of the problem is that, though we have a Homewatch group, the woman who runs it is in her 80s now and we need someone to take it over.”

Sergeant Ian Campbell, of Prestwich police, said: “If the residents do decide to reinvigorate their Homewatch group, we would be happy to attend meetings and assist in any way we can.” We believe that, in the main, the trouble has disappeared as a neighbourhood dispute between two families ended in late summer. We are monitoring the situation and we are committed to reducing problems for residents.”