YOUTHS are making life a misery for residents and businesses in a city shopping strip.

Traders in Cranham Parade, Cranham Drive, Warndon, say they have been complaining for months about gangs of teenagers who hang around the complex drinking alcohol and intimidating shoppers and those who live nearby.

Now they are being urged by police to continue to work with officers as they look to crack down on instances of antisocial behaviour and move the teens out of the area for up to 48 hours at a time in new dispersal orders.

Ray Deo, aged 48, who runs Nisa Local, said he has banned the teens, who he believes are aged between 12 and 16, from entering his shop.

“They are here every day,” he said. “I banned them about three weeks ago now, I don’t let them pass through the door. They’ve tried to come back but I won’t let them.”

Another employee at the mini supermarket, who did not wish to be named, said: “They are just a nuisance, banging on the windows, shouting things.”

She said the gang of around 10 or 12 youths will come to the strip for a couple of hours from about 11 each morning, before returning later in the evening.

“When they come back later in the evening, that’s when they get worse,” she said.

“It’s been going on, I should say, for the last year, but now it’s getting worse and worse. It’s intimidating.”

Ray said a number of other businesses have also banned the teenagers from entering, “but they still hang around outside”.

An employee of another shop said: “It’s a shame for the old people, when they want to come to the shops and they get frightened.”

June Barrow, a volunteer at Age UK, said she has had to shoo them away during the evening so that some customers don’t feel intimidated, but “they just swear at you”.

The manager of Age UK, who did not wish to be named, said the situation is a “nightmare”.

“Their language is terrible, they are bullies. I have heard them verbally abuse people and swear and shout at them. They are a nuisance. I’m a mother, my daughter is 15 and if she ever spoke or acted like these kids out here, I’d kill her.

“I know the police have had a lot of complaints about them,” she said. “I try to deal with it myself to be fair.

“This is supposed to be a no drinking zone, but they all come. Nothing seems to get done about it.”

Sergeant Simon Hallam, of Warndon Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “In recent weeks we have received a number of reported instances of anti-social behaviour from local businesses and residents in the vicinity of Cranham Parade.”

The sergeant said officers from Warndon SNT have recently instigated a dispersal order in line with S35 of Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 in an attempt to address the issue.

He said the intention is to “move off groups of local youths who can cause intimidation by their behaviour”.

“This order is in place for periods of up to 48 hrs and will be re-instigated as and when issues justify this action.

“Local officers are continuing to work towards resolutions in order to ensure that positive action is taken against any suspected offenders.

“Local residents are urged to continue to report matters of this nature so that we can continue to take positive action,” he added.