ELDERLY residents on an Abbotts Ann estate say their lives are being made a misery by groups of youths who are shouting abuse, throwing stones and even exposing themselves.

Complaints have been made to police and Test Valley Borough Council about the teenagers who congregate in Bulbery with skateboards and bikes.

"It started off with just a few of them, but it seems to have grown over the last year and now there's more like eight or nine," said 77-year-old Stefano Falcone whose house is opposite the area where they gather.

"It's just got too much," he said.

"Just the other night at 11pm I went out with my torch to ask them to move on and they just laughed at me and said 'Don't worry about him, he's too old', before dropping their trousers and mooning.

"It was disgraceful. There was a young girl with them, no older than 12 and I just thought, 'Where are your parents? Why aren't they worried about where you are at this time of night'?"

His sentiments are echoed by another Bulbery resident who does not want to be named for fear of reprisals.

The pensioner who's lived in Abbotts Ann for eight years regularly cleans up her garden after it's been vandalised and has just finished wiping dripping egg yolk from her front windows.

"It has got to stop, because we're at the end of our tether," she said.

"It's intimidating not to feel comfortable in your own home, and the worst of it is, they don't seem to care.

"The way they talk to us is disgusting with the 'f' word everywhere, and they just laugh and snigger.

"It's totally unnecessary. They do it on purpose and I'm just worried about what they'll do next," said the 79-year-old.

Complaints have been made to the police who have driven to the area on patrol, while pavement signs barring skateboarding or cycling, have been erected by Test Valley Borough Council.

"It's done no good at all," said Stefano Falcone.

"There's a parish council meeting soon and a lot of us are going to that to see if anyone else can help. We're determined to make it stop," he said.

Police say they're aware of the situation and are urging residents to report all incidents.