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Rooftop vandals target frightened pensioners
Orton Malborne residents are living in fear after yobs ran across rooftops stealing lead flashing and damaged cars, windows and garden furniture.
Orton Malborne residents are living in fear after yobs ran across rooftops stealing lead flashing and damaged cars, windows and garden furniture.For weeks, the people of Leighton, Orton Malborne, Peterborough, have experienced sleepless nights after suffering a spate of thefts and incidents of verbal abuse.
One woman even woke up to find a man peering down at her through her rooftop skylight, and another had her car damaged when hooligans jumped off her roof on to it.
It has all got too much for one elderly resident, who decided to call The Evening Telegraph to talk about the nightmare of living in Leighton.
The pensioner, who has lived in the road for more than 20 years, said the problems began about four months ago and reached a peak last weekend.
He said: "I heard footsteps on the roof. When they are on the top of your house, that is a step too far. It wasn't until the morning that we noticed the lead had been taken.
"We called the police and they came out, but no one saw anything, except a couple of figures in the shadows.
"One woman told me that she woke up to find someone looking through her skylight. She must have been absolutely terrified.
"A lot of the people who live around here are elderly and on their own.
"To have this constant menace is just frightening."
The damage to the roof was so severe the lead slats had to be replaced straight away, as the heavy rain over the past few days would have leaked into homes.
The pensioner said residents believed the trouble stemmed from people living in the area, and it had been reported to the police and city council.
A neighbour, who has lived in Leighton for three years, said his hanging baskets had been stolen. He added that he was shocked by what was happening in the area.
He said: "It is terrifying for people living around here. I have had vandalism to my garden, and also awoke to hear people running along my roof, but it's nothing compared to what some are putting up with.
"There has always been a bit of trouble, but not a patch on what is going on at the moment."
City councillor Pam Winslade, who represents Orton Longueville, said she was aware of reports of crime in the area and had passed her concerns on to the letting agent and police.
Today, Inspector Karryann Beeby, of Peterborough police, said she would be willing to meet the residents to talk to them about setting up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme.
She said: "I fully understand the concerns of residents. We need to work together to solve the problem of anti-social behaviour.
"A Neighbourhood Watch scheme would allow residents to be our eyes and ears and incidents could be reported directly to me. This would enable me to put the right resources in the right place at the right time."
Anyone with information about crime in Leighton should call police on 0845 456 4564, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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