Fireworks mayhem

Residents in St Julians say they are fed up with youngsters setting off fireworks along roads and throwing stones and eggs.

Most of the problems have centred around the grounds of St Julians High School and Caerleon Road - with the worst incident on Halloween night. Susan Malolepszy, a mother-of-two who lives near the school, said: "I have been here for nine years and this is the worst I have ever known. "There is a big gang calling themselves the Soulless Crew, mainly in Year 11, and they go around causing trouble.

"There were about 50 or 60 youngsters, some from that gang, marauding around and they were putting fireworks on walls and firing them across the road.

"A motorist driving along with a window open would have had no chance." Mrs Malolepszy, a nurse at the Royal Gwent Hospital, said the gang pelted passing vehicles with eggs and specifically targeted police cars.

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: "We've had a lot of problems around here but it all came to a head on Halloween night. It was pretty frightening."

And another added: "The number of fireworks that have been set off in the street is ridiculous."

Steve Marshall, who has been the headteacher at St Julians High School for 18 years, said there was no gang culture in the school.

He said: "If people bring to our attention that a pupil is behaving antisocially out of school we will be more than happy to point that child in the right direction. I have a lot of sympathy for the people who are disrupted by this unseemly behaviour and it is unfortunate a small minority of youngsters in Newport give a bad name to the rest of the children."

PC Sophie Whiting, the crime and disorder reduction officer for Maindee police, said: "We had around a group of 50 letting off fireworks and throwing stones and eggs.

"We took the names of some of those involved and letters will be sent out to the parents of the known troublemakers."