A GREATER focus will be placed on curbing antisocial behaviour in Birkenhead after councillors recognised the issue was spiralling out of control.

Families on the Tranmere and Rock Ferry boundary have flooded the authorities with complaints about gangs terrorising their streets – which has seen car windows and wing mirrors smashed, as well as eggs thrown at homes.

Councillor Brian Kenny, who represents the Birkenhead and Tranmere ward, told the Globe many homeowners are living in fear each night as what they have described as “gangs of youths” terrorise the streets between Mersey Park and Victoria Park.

The complaints are focused on several streets in the area, including Church Road and Ivydale Road.

More than 30 residents attended a public meeting in Rock Ferry last night to speak with councillors from the Birkenhead and Tranmere ward, Rock Ferry ward, representatives from Merseyside Police and Wirral Council’s antisocial behaviour and community safety teams.

Following the meeting, Cllr Kenny told the Globe more attention will now be focused on the area, as well as moving forward with plans to build a multi-million pound youth zone in the town.

“We had a long discussion about the issues that are going on in the area at the moment,” explained Cllr Kenny.

“The main problem that residents are seeing is that groups of youths are going down the streets between the two parks and generally misbehaving.

“They are smashing car wing mirrors, car windows and throwing eggs at homes.

“We decided that we are going to pay more attention to the area from now on and residents have been asked to report any incidents at the time so that they can be logged.

“We also had positive discussions about the proposals for the Wirral Youth Zone, which will be built next to Birkenhead Community Fire Station in the coming years.”

Plans for the Youth Zone are still in the early stages but the state-of-the-art centre - which is expected to cost around £6m - should be open by late 2015.

Councillor Kenny said: “It will give young people in Wirral somewhere to go, things to do and there will be all sorts of things going on.

“We are hoping by setting up initiatives like the youth zone, it will give young people something to do and hopefully it will put a stop to the antisocial behaviour we have got at the moment.

“It is not acceptable that residents should be sitting in their own homes worrying about what is going on literary outside their front door.

“We want to try and turn that around completely.”