"Living near a famous beauty spot is hell - it's been taken over by teenage gangs and drug dealers"

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Residents say living next to a famous beauty spot has become a nightmare after it was taken over by teenage gangs and drug dealers. Homeowners near Gorse Hill and Elbury Mount Nature Reserve in Worcester claim they’re “terrorised” by yobs taking drugs and kids racing up and down on motorbikes. Several houses on adjacent Kenwood Avenue are regularly egged by teen yobs who then escape into the nearby woods. The nature reserve is the highest point in Worcester and commands stunning views over the famous Malvern Hills. The area is also historically significant and was used as a key location during the English Civil War. In his war diary, Henry Townshend, one of the Royalist garrison, wrote in 1646 the Parliamentarian Colonel Edward Whalley placed a gun battery on the hill. Druids were also known to set up a camp on the grassy slopes of Elbury Mount. Residents and walkers say the area is now a “no go zone” which is plagued by swarms of troublemakers. Grandad Dave Bristow, 69, has lived in the area for 30 years and says he fears taking his grandchildren to the nature reserve. The retired butcher said: "I walk my dogs up there twice a day but would never go there at night. "You see beer and cider cans all over the place. "I always think if they can carry them up there full why can't they take them back down empty instead of throwing them everywhere. "It's sad really. One of them hacked down a lovely hollyhock flower which was in full bloom and dragged it all down the path. It's just senseless. "I've got two grandchildren but wouldn't take them up there. "It's an ideal place for teenagers to meet up where they know they won't find any adults." Car salesman Declan Fitzgerald, 32, said his dog was almost run over by a yob on a motorbike. He said: "My dog is a rescue dog so is nervous. "I was walking him on the parkland the other day when a motorbike hared past. It was very scary and intimidating. "I got chatting to another man who said motorbikes are constantly revving past his house. The situation has got out of hand." A mum-of-two, who did not want to be named fearing reprisals, said: "The nature reserve used to be lovely, you could take picnics up there and really enjoy the views. "There might be some litter but nothing like you have now. The place is a magnet for drug dealers who can do their business safely away from CCTV or police. "I've known of people who have dared confront the gangs and they got their houses egged over night. "What was once a really pleasant area where families and walkers could enjoy is now a no go zone. The police don't care and the gangs know it. They have made our lives hell." Locals are now calling on Worcester City Council to install CCTV at the nature reserve in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour. Councillor Mohammad Altaf, who represents Gorse Hill, also wants to put lockable gates on alleyways which have become a magnet for drug dealers. He said: “The issue is that we have a lot of alleyways between Kenwood Avenue and there are a lot of residents complaining that at night there is a lot of drug dealing going on in those alleys. “If we can put gates in those alleys at certain times, especially at night when there is a lot of drug dealing and motorbikes are going up and down Kenwood Avenue.” Councillor James Stanley said: “CCTV is something that we would really like to get installed permanently. “But it’s very difficult to do because of significant demand elsewhere. “I think with the measures that we are hopefully going to get and also the stuff that is taking place at the moment, we’ll see a real significant improvement up there.” After more than 50 residents complained about motorbikes being ridden over the nature reserve, barriers were installed. However, they were branded “useless” by locals who say yobs simply hop onto a path to bypass them and access the beauty spot. Worcester City Council say they had set aside £50,000 to tackle anti-social behaviour in the area.