QUESTION: Almost as soon as we moved into our new house kids running wild in the street became the bane of our lives. They've broken our hallway window, they congregate on our steps in the evenings, shout abuse at us, and when we've complained to their parents, they've got aggressive too. Now we get unpleasant comments from the whole family when we pass in the street and they dump rubbish on our steps. We're not the only ones in the street to feel intimidated. What should we do?

ANSWER: If a neighbour's child causes damage to a property, a conciliatory approach to settle the matter is usually the best solution.

Legally children can be sued for damages if they are old enough to know what they were doing. In practice this is unrealistic, since few courts would look favourably on such action, and a child is unlikely to have much money to pay any damages. However the parents of the child might be liable for negligence and damages if they have trusted the child with something dangerous that was beyond the child's capability to use responsibly, such as an air gun. The parents may also be liable if they have failed to exercise the control that would be expected given the child's age.

It may be that things have got to such a stage in this case that you need to consult the local council or the police about the possibility of issuing an antisocial behaviour order. This will be granted only if a child has caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Local authorities also now have powers to set up local child curfew schemes to control unsupervised children under ten at night. This can only be imposed following consultation with people in the neighbourhood affected by it. Get together with other neighbours who feel intimidated by this behaviour and make a joint approach to the council and/or police. You might want to consult the local CAB for more detailed advice before taking action of this kind.

It would also be worth checking with the local environmental health department whether, in dumping rubbish on your doorstep, your neighbours are in breach of public health legislation, in which case environmental health officers can take action.

Further information is available from your local bureau at 8 Easton Street, High Wycombe, telephone number (08701) 264 045 or from 47 Hill Avenue, Amersham, telephone number (01494) 433262

Advice is also available on the Citizens Advice Bureau's website www.adviceguide.org.uk

For information about volunteering call High Wycombe (01494) 471818 or Amersham (01494) 433262