Mums' Army: Stories of antisocial behaviour

Linda Jennings joined Mums' Army after two of her children were attacked on their way home from school.
Then she saw the news about the shooting of 11-year-old Rhys Jones and decided she had to do more.
She headed into central London and personally delivered a letter to the Prime Minister at No 10 Downing Street.
In it Linda, 45, of St George's Road, Dagenham, Greater London, said: 'The policing of this country - or lack of it - has condemned us all to live in fear and intimidation.
My concern is for the future of my family and other decent citizens.
We've let this happen because we've not spoken out until now.'
Among other things she called for were the return of corporal punishment and greater powers for both parents and police.
She added: 'We may then be able to go out day or night without fear and intimidation. Youth crime must be stopped.'
Linda received a reply from Downing Street which said: 'Mr Brown is as shocked and saddened by this horrific crime as the rest of the country.
His thoughts at this time are with Rhys's family and friends.'
Linda's letter was being forwarded to the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, and we will report her response.
Linda Jennings,
Dagenham, Greater London
E-mail: dagenhammumsarmy@aol.com

The letterbox rattled and Alan Malpass picked up a scrap of paper from the mat.
There were words scrawled clumsily across it. He started to read...
You fat git. You better get out. We're gonna burn your house down. If you think one smashed window is bad we're gonna do the rest of them too.
A gang of teenage thugs had been targetting his home for months.
Alan took the anonymous note to the police station. 'Look, I'm living in fear,' he told officers. 'Can't you do anything about it?'
He also asked the council to move him. All of this was in vain.
Alan, 34, of Kirkheaton, West Yorkshire, told Mums' Army: 'Because I hadn't been physically attacked, the council said they couldn't do anything. I can't believe that someone has to be hurt or even killed before they will help us.
'Teenagers run riot through our garden at all times of the day and night, and hang around in th street shouting and swearing. After they'd put a brick through our landing window my little girl was too scared to sleep upstairs.
'I can't let my daughters play in the garden and the stress is affecting my health.
'I'm backing Mums' Army because no one seems to be taking the problem seriously. The police have warned me not to confront the youths but why should we live in fear while they are allowed to run riot?'
Alan Malpass,
Kirkheaton, West Yorkshire
Tel: 07789 971434

After suffering three years of antisocial behaviour, Marcelle Dormer decided to throw in the towel and move. But once she'd arrived at her new home, she discovered she might as well have stayed put.
Marcelle, 36, a mum of seven, of Basildon, Essex, contacted Mums' Army and said: 'It started with kids kicking our puppy under the fence. When I blocked the gap so they couldn't do it any more, they destroyed the top of our wall and tormented him from there instead.
'Since then we've had our windows put through and our car wrecked. We installed CCTV cameras but one of them was stolen. Children ring our doorbell in the middle of the night and bash on our windows.'
She said: 'The police do all they can but we need the council to provide safe, supervised facilities where youngsters can do something positive instead of terrorising the neighbourhood.
'I'm supporting Mums' Army because it's no good running away from the problem. We need to stand firm and fight it.'
Marcelle Dormer,
Basildon, Essex
Tel: 07846 359138