GANGS of youths some as young as eight are making life a misery for residents, shopkeepers and shoppers in a Harlow shopping precinct.

Police say the groups who congregate at Bush Fair after school and in the evening take part in shoplifting, alcohol abuse and other anti-social behaviour.

There are also concerns that they are becoming a target for drug dealers.

The youngsters often pester passing adults to buy alcohol and cigarettes for them.

One resident who lives nearby said: "I've got older teenage children, yet they cannot go into the area without being asked to buy cigarettes and booze. When they refused they have been spat on by the young girls."

In one incident, police were called after two eight-year-old girls were found, in the words of one shop assistant manager, "as drunk as lords".

On another occasion, a wheelchair was grabbed from outside the mobility shop but it was quickly returned after angry shoppers gave chase.

One shop worker blamed parents for the problems. She said: "Some of them (the children) are so young and they're out here until 10pm. Decent parents wouldn't let their kids out at that time."

Another, who also blamed "a lack of parental control," said staff and customers were intimidated by the gangs who gave "mouthfuls of abuse" when confronted.

Police have been called to the area on a number of occasions to relatively minor incidents and the cumulative effect, police say, seems to be driving away regular users of the shops.

Harlow Section Inspector Alan Cook said: "This isn't just a problem that will go away overnight. Working in partnership with other agencies will help, but we also need the support of the community and the parents."

However the problem has slightly improved since a petition demanding action was handed to police and the council. Police patrols have been stepped up and youngsters now gather less frequently and in groups of up to 30. At the height of the problem the numbers sometimes reached 50.

But there are fears the situation will deteriorate again in the school holidays.

One shopkeeper said: "There's nothing for them to do. If they had somewhere to go, I don't know, like a skate boarding park, it would help. But the only thing they've got to do is come round here and cause people grief."