Residents are demanding action to combat street violence in Abingdon.

People living in residential streets near the town centre list a catalogue of damage to cars and property.

They are demanding curbs on late-night food outlets and want more council support for the police who at times struggle to contain gangs of unruly youths.

Residents were ann- oyed by the decision to allow Smarts Fish and Chips in The Square to trade until 1.30am. At a hearing of the Vale of White Horse District Council's licensing sub-committee, the police opposed the extended licence, saying the shop was a "honeypot" for groups of drunken and volatile young people.

Police say they are so stretched in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings that other parts of the Abingdon area are being denied proper police cover. Residents claim drunken young men and women stagger home, shouting, swearing, vandalising cars and breaking windows.

In one incident, a doctor who was on call had his car tyres slashed.

One resident, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "My sympathy is totally with the police who have to deal with these people. Why do we have to put up with these activities?"

Town mayor David Allinson said the behaviour of groups of young people in the town centre late at night was giving Abingdon a bad name.

He said: "We are still consulting the police and traders about the best way forward. There are a number of aspects to be examined.

"We have to get the correct balance between competing claims in the best long-term interests of Abingdon."