PEOPLE living in an area of Newport plagued by anti-social behaviour are being asked by police to keep a diary of incidents.

Officers have received calls about fights, door locks being glued and stones being thrown at residents in Baneswell, on a regular basis - and some of the cuplrits are believed to be as young as ten, police say.

PC Debra White, Newport central's crime and disorder reduction officer, said 160 letters had now gone out to homes in St Mary Street, Jones Street and St Edward Street, asking them to keep a log of incidents and who is responsible.

Other streets will be receiving letters in due course.

PC White said: "A lot of the residents are too frightened to come forward, but there's a lady in Bailey Street who has her door lock Superglued practically every day.

"Stones being thrown is a regular thing, and fights and general nuisance behaviour, to the point where it's getting quite bad. It's just a small group, aged ten and up, who are doing it."

A member of staff at the nursery Cylchmeithryn Baneswell, who did not want to be named, said: "It's a real concern. When you lock up on Friday you don't know what you are going to walk into on Monday. It all started before Christmas when we had some things stolen.

"More recently they've cut locks off the gate and used our bin to climb over to next door."

A bucket attached to an ornamental wishing well in the grounds was also cut off and a pair of secateurs left behind. Alan Sinclair, a director at Gwerin housing association, which owns sheltered housing in St Mary's Court, off St Mary Street, said: "We put up a fence four or five years ago in response to nuisance trespass. But residents are still experiencing skateboarders, which are a hazard to old people who can't get out of the way. Kids looking for something to do wander onto the scheme and get abusive when asked to leave.

"When you're in your retirement you may move off a family estate for some peace and quiet and you don't expect it all to follow you."

One resident, who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals, said: "Most of the time they're just hanging around and being cheeky, but they also throw stones at our windows."

PC White said: "We are committed to reducing anti-social behaviour and if they contact us with any problems we'll do everything we can."