Six young people accused of anti-social behaviour on an estate have been warned about their future conduct.

Ascham Homes, which manages housing on behalf of Waltham Forest Council, says it has received a number of complaints about groups congregating in stairwells, spitting, littering and vandalism on the Aldriche Way estate in Highams Park.

Police say the Acceptable Behaviour Agreements (ABA), which are not legally binding, were issued after unspecified evidence was gathered by Police Community Support Officers (PCSO).

If the subjects of the agreement are proved to have broken the agreement, evidence can be used to support an application for an anti-social behaviour order.

PCSO Michael Wheeler described the move as “non-aggressive”.

He said: "We're giving the youths on the estate an opportunity to stop what they're doing because it is a nuisance for the residents and sometimes they don't realise their behaviour can be quite intimidating.

"It is not an aggressive tactic and we're trying to avoid making arrests because it's not always the best solution and causes tension on the estate.”

He added there had been a significant drop in the number of complaints since the agreements were issued.

Ward councillors recently approved a £9,000 grant for education and training for people living on the estate.