RESIDENTS have scored a decisive victory over hordes of anti-social youths playing football in their street.

Householders at Middle Boy, in Abridge, got so fed up with damage by stray footballs to garden pot plants and parked cars that they complained to councilliors and police.

Councillor Ron Gunning raised the issue at the last parish council meeting and councillors lobbied the district council to tackle the problem. Now a sign, forbidding football in the street has been erected and the games have stopped.

Mr Gunning said: "It was becoming a problem and quite a few residents came to me with complaints.

"Now it has been made clear that football is not allowed here and that seems to have moved them on to some of our many local fields which are much more suitable."