Estate residents have had enough of a group of young people who have fired arrows into neighbours' gardens and thrown stones.

For the past two years children ranging from primary school age to their late teens have hung-out in the Gilwell Hill estate in Waltham Abbey.

Where once their presence was innocuous, according to one resident who keeps track of their movements they have become increasingly emboldened and destructive.

Members of the group have dragged discarded furniture into a patch of woodland by King George Way which has become littered with laughing gas cannisters, beer cans and the charred remains of a burnt out tree.

The resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "I have lived here for four years and the kids have grown up in that time.

"It has gotten bad in the last two years and it is just really dangerous what they are doing now.

"They have a den in the woods where they have burnt a tree. It's just really dangerous. I don't want a fire to happen."

In addition to the den, residents have been disturbed by the noise of the kids, who play knock-down-ginger and allow their dogs to defecate on lawns as they cut across them.

If this is an inconvenience to the people that live there, then other behaviour is scaring them.

The resident added: "The very same kids have thrown stones at cars and used pellet guns.

"They threw a stone at my partner's car as he was leaving for work this evening.

"One of the boys counted down 'one, two, three' as my partner was warming up his car, threw it and then ran off.

"They have also fired arrows into my garden."

Through the summer months the group's behaviour has intensified, leading to frustration that nothing has been done.

"No one is doing anything. Police will come round and knock on their doors, and then they start again," the resident said.

"I want patrols on the estate by the side of my house and CCTV installed along with signage.

"I do not want my children seeing such deviant behaviour.

"I do not feel safe in and around my own house and this is unacceptable."

A spokesperson for Notting Hill Genesis, which manages the estate, said the woodland next to Gilwell Hill was owned by City of London Corporation.

They added: "However, we are aware of the concerns of residents regarding anti-social behaviour on the estate and are in the process of installing two CCTV cameras, which we hope will identify some of those responsible for the problems.

“We are in regular contact with the Neighbourhood Policing Team in the area, but would advise residents to report any criminal activity to the police.”

The Corporation was contacted for comment.