Residents in Portslade say they want action to tackle the problem of antisocial drunken youths before it gets that bad.

A meeting is to be held, spearheaded by traders, with police, councillors, MPs and residents to discuss what can be done.

Landlady Annette Gauntlett has run The Victoria pub in Boundary Road, Portslade, since April.

She previously ran pubs in the centre of Brighton and in Kemp Town but she said the violence and rowdy behaviour by young people in Portslade was far worse than in Brighton.

She said: "This is about being kept up until 2am and 3am. There are some parents letting children as young as seven out on the streets until the early hours.

"We're not talking about a bit of shoplifting or swear words but phone boxes being smashed up and violence - and it is every weekend."

Mrs Gauntlett said her customers, fellow traders and residents were angry young people were being allowed a free rein to cause such damage and distress.

She said: "We really want something done about this. The young people are being allowed to get away with so much.

"I'm not knocking the police, their hands are tied. We need their hands untied so they can do something."

Mrs Gauntlett and other residents and traders have written to Ivor Caplin MP and members of Brighton and Hove City Council inviting them to the meeting.

Karen and Michael Cherriman are among the residents likely to attend.

They are so angry about the situation they have written to the council.

They wrote: "These underage drinkers are extremely noisy and mouthy and this increases ten-fold the more they drink."

Dozens of residents have witnessed young people smashing up shelters on the railway platform, breaking bottles, urinating in public and smashing the wing mirrors of parked cars.

Guy Liebenberg, a vet at the Coastway Group in Boundary Road, said he had been forced to close the vets' pet shop on numerous occasions because of groups of youngsters storming in, grabbing pet food and running out again.

Brighton and Hove city councillor Sue John said: "Generally crime levels are low in Portslade but there are some who are making life miserable for adults as well as other young people.

"This is not just a police matter. There could be more for young people to do, particularly those who live south of the Old Shoreham Road."

The church in Church Road is being converted to provide youth services with the help of council and lottery money.