A father said he and his family fear for their lives because the area where they live has become plagued by antisocial and criminal behaviour.

The man, who died not want to be identified because of concerns for his safety, lives in Grange Road, Gillingham.

He said there isn’t a day that goes by without an incident occurring in his street and others nearby, with gardens being broken into, fights in the early hours of the morning and youngsters riding mopeds up and down the road at night.

There have been reports of nuisance motorbikes, vandalism, underage drinking, drug taking and abusive behaviour around the area, including Carrington Close, The Vineries, Layfield Road and Gillingham Green.

The issue came to the attention of ward councillor Cllr Andy Stamp about nine months ago after he received numerous complaints from residents. Since then, police have seized a number of motorbikes and CCTV has been installed.

But the father-of-one who spoke to the Messenger said the problems continue.

He claims an incident occurred two weeks ago where children who were playing in Gillingham Green were threatened by youths with lighters and knives.

He said: “I used to enjoy a stroll in the park with my dog, my wife and my young daughter but sadly we now fear for our lives.

“The local council do not wish to help and our politician will not respond to any of us, despite us making so many pleas for help.”

The Conservative MP for Gillingham and Rainham, Rehman Chishti (Con) said he was not aware of the man’s concerns until he was contacted by the Medway Messenger this week.

He said: “I take all residents concerns seriously once I have received a letter or email of the gentleman’s concerns my office will fully look into this.”

The resident is also accusing the police of ignoring his complaints.

The university graduate claims when he has tried to contact them either via 101 or 999, they have not dispatched any staff to deal with antisocial behaviour.

Labour councillor for Gillingham North, Andy Stamp said: “Residents are quite rightly very frustrated with the slow police response times and the perceived lack of action, but the police are clearly over-stretched and don’t have enough resources to be able to answer calls or send officers to respond quickly.”

Medway district commander CI Simon Alland, pictured, said: “We understand the concerns of residents regarding antisocial behaviour and we work diligently to reduce the impact it has on their daily lives.

"We take every incident reported to us seriously, whether it’s through 101 or 999.

“In Gillingham, we use a combination of resources including patrols by dedicated PCSOs and the Community Policing Team to engage with residents and prevent crime.

“In regard to the concerns expressed by the resident, officers and partner agencies are currently working with those who engage in antisocial behaviour.

“We want to work with local communities and so any information that can be provided will greatly assist us. If anyone ever has any concerns I would always encourage them to call us on 101 or if the incident is ongoing dial 999.”