I am writing in response to Henry Page's article about vandalism and personal abuse (The Argus, May 4).

Our agony started six months after we had moved into our new home in Peacehaven. I was a town councillor and held the key to a play area nearby.

One afternoon one person told my husband he was going to get him when he went to lock up, and sure enough he was waiting with three friends.

Later, when my husband said it was time to leave, he hit him around the head with a skate board.

My husband managed to get it away from him and threw it. We didn't press charges as we thought it was a one-off. How wrong we were. From then on, our troubles started with demands for money to pay for the "broken" board.

Then it escalated to our front door being kicked, windows banged and missiles being thrown at our home - mud, bad potatoes and eggs to name but a few.

Fireworks were thrown into the back garden, terrorizing the one cat we had at that time. One kid would chase my husband on his bike shouting obscenities as he did so and running into my husbands legs. One day he fell off and accused my husband of pushing him. Who got the warning? My husband!

The police didn't really want to know to start with. We could identify them but it was our word against the youngsters. It came to a head when our Christmas lights were pulled down off the bungalow. You actually reported this in your paper. Again "no one" was responsible or saw anything. So we installed a camera and that was pulled down and broken. We installed another one and caught them spitting through the letter box.

By this time I was ready to take an overdose of insulin but we also had a new police constable who was very understanding and helpful. He took the video around and showed it to the parents. Only one set refused to look at it.

We received two apologies and things have quietened down apart from a fire extinguisher being thrown through the greenhouse.

A few months later my husband suffered a stress heart attack, which the consultant says was bought on by all this worry. We thought we were the only people being targeted on the estate and felt very alone.

It then transpired they were terrorising all the people in the sheltered housing. One mother actually said we should not be living here.

The same gang are still going on the rampage and have caused damage at a day centre near here, breaking in at least twice and smashing the kitchens.

So, what is the answer. Not conscription, as a lot of older people say. My two sons have made the army their career and I don't think they would have got as far as they have with all the disruption that would be caused by youngsters who didn't want to be there.

Anyway, they are not even allowed to shout at the recruits any more.

I think a boot camp like the army prison in Colchester, where everything is done at the double, but it would soon be full. I really don't know what the answer is. Maybe get rid of all the do-gooders and bring the birch back. I don't think ABSOS are any good as these yobs would think nothing of breaking them.

-Name and address supplied