POLICE are stepping up patrols in a bid to crack down on a gang of teenage 'thugs' who have been terrorising elderly shoppers in Andover town centre.

In what could be the most serious incident so far officers are investigating a possible assault in which a man was allegedly robbed earlier this week.

Borough councillor Alan Smith, a former police officer, says many of them are on bikes and elude the police by sending text messages to each other on their mobile phones whenever they see an officer approaching.

Mr Smith, who was himself spat at during one incident, said: "They are intimidating. I know people who won't go out late night shopping because of them.

"When I was a beat officer in Portsmouth we wouldn't allow more than three youngsters to gather on street corners. "If they did they were moved on.

"I'm appalled.

"It's absolutely awful. It's nothing more than thuggery." Mr Smith has sympathy with the police who have to deal with such problems with limited resources.

The teenagers' favourite haunt is around and alongside the bus station, although they have been seen in other parts of the town centre.

Sgt Kevin McCarthy said Andover police were responding to the problem by stepping up patrols with officers on overtime in an attempt to stop the anti-social behaviour.

He said: "We take such behaviour so seriously that we are spending money and resources to put extra officers out on the streets on high profile patrols.

"The police take a dim view of such behaviour and if the evidence is there we will take it as far as we can."

Meanwhile, an existing campaign to eliminate town centre violence - codenamed Operation Dennison - suffered a set-back at the weekend with 16 arrests.

Some were charged, mainly for public order offences.

One man was taken to hospital with head injuries.

But Sgt McCarthy described the violence as a 'blip' in an otherwise successful operation, and he stressed that the police would continue to work for a peaceful town centre in the run-up to Christmas and into New Year.