TERRIFIED neighbours on a Blackburn estate are appealing for a footpath to be closed to get rid of vandals, drug dealers -- and petrol bombers.

People in Lytham Road and Fairhaven Road sent a petition to Blackburn with Darwen Council's planning and highways committee pleading for a path running between Lytham Road and the Roman Road estate to be closed.

The distressed residents claim the alleyway is used by criminals who, over the years, have targeted every house on the street.

They launched their campaign to get the path closed after a gang of youths who regularly gather on the alley began urinating over a wall on to one resident's daughter. A petrol bomb was recently hurled down the alley, which landed in one person's garden -- just yards from where a group of youngsters had been playing just moments before.

One of the residents, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "This has been going on for a long time in small doses but just recently it has got so much worse.

"They break into houses and vandalise things before using the path as an easy escape route.

"Others congregate there and turn violent when we ask them to calm down. My daughter was urinated on and the incident with the petrol bomb was the last straw."

Another resident said: "We have also found syringes and condoms down there. It is horrible. We are quiet people who just want to get on with our lives in peace.

"When we dared to complain about them, they started throwing rocks at us."

A report to the committee confirmed the alley is a focal point for anti-social behaviour.

Council officers noted that the loss of a route to community facilities would be outweighed by the benefits of getting rid of the youths.

The petition was noted and a report will now be compiled to see if the path can be closed, although it was noted that closing the footpath would improve neighbourhood security.

Among the people to be consulted will be local police officers.

A spokesman for Blackburn Police said: "We are aware of problems neighbours have had and know of the petrol bomb incident."

Coun Ashley Whalley, a local councillor, said: "I support the petiton wholeheartedly and we are now actively involved in looking at all the ginnels that link the Higher Croft estate with those parts of the Roman Road estate which have been demolished.

"The nature of the housing has caused this problem.

"Large open spaces where houses have been demolished have meant the flow of people on these paths isn't what it used to be, creating isolated areas for the youngsters to hang out.

"It is only a minority though."