TWO civic leaders in Winchester are demanding anti-social behaviour by some people in council-owned properties be curbed.

Residents of Trussell Crescent, Weeke, said their lives have been made hell by youngsters housed by Winchester City Council in bedsits.

They say they feel intimidated about going out at night and are fed-up with the constant disturbance near their homes.

One resident, who has since been re-housed and who asked not to be named, said used syringes had been pushed through her letterbox after she had threatened to complain to the police.

Another, who also refused to be named, said: "We do hear a lot of noise in the road, especially late at night, and there always seems to be people arguing in the street.

"It's intimidating and unpleasant, especially for the street's elderly residents."

Now Weeke's two councillors, Anne Saunders and Eileen Berry, say it is time the council looked at its housing policy and stopped placing so many disruptive people on the estate.

Cllr Berry said: "I've had numerous complaints from people living in and near the street about drug taking and dealing, fighting and anti-social behaviour.

"People also tell me they're too scared to complain, not only because of fear about what those they're complaining about will do, but they worry they will risk losing their own homes if they complain.

Cllr Saunders, added: "Our desire is to help people not cause an uproar, but it is the case that there are some people who make life very difficult for others in the street."

A police check revealed there were 13 call-outs to Trussell Crescent in the last six months, including two for criminal damage, two for theft from a dwelling, two burglaries, four domestic incidents and one for harassment.

However Cllr Dominic Hiscock, strenuously denied the council had a policy of putting disruptive people in the street.

He said: "It's one of the places where we house single young people with the most urgent need, there's no deliberate policy of housing ex-offenders in any one place.