ORGANISERS of Test Valley's £640,000 street warden scheme have come came face to face with anxious residents from the town's estates who claim the yob problem has reached a new peak in the last two years.

Some elderly women are left quaking in fear every night as out of control youngsters run riot, residents told community safety officer Janet Ashfield and Jean Roberts-Jones from Test Valley Community Services.

And those who inform police can be left wishing they hadn't done so. Reprisals have included eggs and dirt being thrown at front doors, vehicles vandalised or foul mouthed and lewd abuse shouted at them.

One elderly woman said she had been told by a 10-year-old-boy that one of her cats would be caught and killed - now she is afraid to let the animals out.

But the street wardens will hopefully be on patrol by next April and should make a significant difference within six months, a gathering in the Longmeadow Centre at Cricketers Way was told.

"They will make a difference because they will give you your community back," said Janet Ashfield. "They will be walking around the streets and acting as a visible deterrent and will be available as witnesses prepared to give evidence in court."

The much heralded Anti Social Behaviour Orders, designed by the Government to tackle the yobs, have not been used so far in this area but evidence supplied by the wardens could now make this possible.

But Jean Roberts-Jones warned the residents not to expect miracles immediately.

"In other areas the experience has been that three to six months down the line it starts to have an effect, but it takes time," she said.

The residents, many in their sixties or over, were supportive of the idea but several were critical of police for failing to respond to calls.