RESIDENTS of homes in East Tilbury and Linford, close to the village's rail station, are running out of patience after more than two years of campaigning to improve their properties' safety following many acts of vandalism.

They, backed by their local MP, are ready to take complaints to the next level and call in the Ombudsman.

The actions of young people in the area have caused alarm and consternation and even a genuine threat to life for residents of Stenning Avenue. Other homes have also been targeted.

In one instance a large piece of rock which was used as track ballast was hurled over a fence between the station and homes, narrowly missing striking a woman in the face.

Residents have tried to creat barriers but they need to be higher and closer to the tracks to stop throwers getting the elevation required.

Had it done so, it is inevitable she would have suffered serious injury or worse. Children in a neighbouring property and others have also reported close encounters with missiles and there have been numerous instances of damage being caused to properties.

Young people have also broken through fencing and entered gardens and thefts have been reported.

The residents have met with representatives of British Transport police, Essex Police, c2c, Network rail, local councillors and – recently, MP James McMurdock has taken on their cause.

All to little or no avail.

Despite many promises of action and agreement that a mesh fence between the station and the homes would be an ideal solution, little has been done in practical terms. There is already a high metal fence on one side of the station, and residents have asked that it be replicated

Police say they have stepped up monitoring of the area and c2c and Network Rail say CCTV is in place as a deterrent – but the reality is problems continue.

As patience has grown thin, officials within the organisations have been increasingly criticised for their apathy, described by one householder as both 'rude and unprofessional'. 

In particular, frustration has mounted following an incident in June, which was eventually taken as far as the desk of c2c's managing director, but nothing has happened.

On 15 June one of the residents awoke in the morning to find a new fence panel in the back garden was missing. On checking he found the garage had been forced open and the lights were on. His daughter then informed him she had heard the sound of someone trying to get in through the back door.

A large mesh fence is on one side of the station but c2c and Network Rail are not keen on replicating it.

Residents have formed an action group and its spokesperson takes up the story, saying: "c2c will no doubt have CCTV footage that can prove what happened and when! We need the Police, either Essex or BTP to get this footage and act on it, no matter who so long as someone does something this time!

"On looking for the missing panel we found a packing piece has been torn off and thrown onto the tracks but the panel itself is no where to be found (we looked far and wide).

"We also noted that many advertising boards on the platform have also been smashed to bits.

"As this resident has a young family and is often away with work this raises our issue of Yobs throwing railway ballast at our homes to another level with them breaking into our properties and trying to gain access inside while we are in our homes!

Gardens and hoimes on Stenning Avneue are close to the track and have suffered being the target of missile throwers.

"If c2c had put up a high fence above the metal platform fence as discussed last year then the yobs would not have been able to climb over and attack this property.

"It's incredible really, if they feel a fence is not the answer then they should simply justify it and offer a solution such as guaranteed security on the platform to protect us, the customers and the yobs from their own dangerous behaviour.

"Where was the security presence? An employee even said that he only sees security on weekdays and only up to 10pm at the latest. Clearly the yobs do not keep to a c2c schedule on vandalism and criminality."

A spokesperson for Mr McMurdock says he is demanding action from c2c and Network Rail and recently wrote to them, saying: "We wrote to you on this matter requesting that you raise a formal complaint. We have not received any response from you. Please respond or we will take the matter up with the Ombudsman."