ANGRY homeowners on a Burnham road claim yobs have caused £20,000 of criminal damage there since December.

Residents on Rosewood Avenue have told the Weekly News they believe they are in the middle of a "crime wave" and have hit out at the vandals responsible.

Eric Vause said the situation had become very serious on the street, with many of his neighbours suffering problems with damage to property and vehicles.

"We are having a bit of a crime wave down Rosewood Avenue, gates are being pulled off their hinges," he said.

"In one case a gate was taken off its hinges and thrown against the side of a car. In total I guess around £20,000 has been done on the street.

"This all started in December and its been going on since. It's got to be youths behind it and it's always after 10pm on a Friday night and sometimes on a Saturday."

Mr Vause, who was a detective inspector for Avon and Somerset Police, gave his take on how he thought the culprits behind the damage could be stopped.

"I think surveillance is the answer - I think there should be cameras of some sort," he said.

"If the police put a crime scenario together they know when the times are.

"I think a plain clothes police would soon catch them."

Burnham sector deputy commander Inspector Roger Tolley said the avenue was an area where police were aware of anti-social behaviour occurring.

"There are significant issues in the town and we are doing our best. The public that are concerned are aware of the support they get from the police," he said.

"There are dedicated patrols which mean officers attend this location throughout the day to identify people that may or may not be involved in these issues.

"It is an issue again that comes down to a minority of young people acting irresponsibly. Should any members of the community have any specific information about offenders we need to hear about it.

"As such, we do not have any leads at the moment."