RESIDENTS on a Southampton estate can speak out about anti-social behaviour tonight after gangs of youths brought terror to their community.

About 40 neighbours living in the Lydgate Green area of Thornhill have been invited to the public meeting along with police, neighbourhood watchwardens and housing officers to discuss concerns following a rampage which left residents afraid to leave their homes. Nine youths were arrested in connection with the incident.

During the peak of the violence a house was targeted and yobs smashed windows of the property.

They also knocked over wheelie bins, threw glass bottles around and broke off wooden panels of a garden fence. The meeting, at the Eastpoint Centre in Burgoyne Road, is being organised by community regeneration group Thornhill Plus You.

The board of the organisation, which is funded by the Government to help boost the standard of living in the area and set up new facilities for residents, ismade up of residentswho live in Thornhill, including the neighbourhood where the trouble took place.

Thornhill Plus You director Dave Kellett said: "We want and need to work closely with our partners and residents to alleviate the issue of antisocial behaviour and neighbourhood nuisance.

"From this meetingwe hope to establish an action plan to address the issues and show the strength of feeling from the community."

Residents' board chairman Debbie King added: "As a local resident I sympathise with the residents of Lydgate Green. Once again it seems to be the minority of people making other peoples lives a misery. Thornhill is our home and we should feel safe and able to live our lives. However many of these young people are from Thornhill, we will be working with service providers to tackle the problem within."

The nine youths arrested on suspicion of a public order act have been released on police bail.

The meeting starts at 6.30pm.