Elderly residents in sheltered homes are being tormented by a gang of youths who are making their lives a misery.

The youths, who are aged from 12 to their late teens, have shouted threats through letter boxes, banged on windows, pulled up plants in gardens and thrown bricks at flat doors and on to roofs.

Residents in up to 20 sheltered housing flats at Mitchell House, Lexden Drive in Seaford have been targeted by the youngsters who they say have been climbing over the fence from the neighbouring housing estate in the evenings.

The son of one couple, who did not wish to be named for fear of his parents being targeted, said the stress suffered by his parents was making them ill.

He said: "They are being terrorised by these little thugs and no-one seems to be able to do anything about it.

"These children are still hanging around the sheltered accommodation and they are making my parents ill with stress.

"My father is seriously ill after a stroke. My mum has got heart problems. This is making them worse. They are both suffering because of it.

"These little thugs are shouting foul and abusive language, making threats saying they are going to punch them in the face."

Last year, local MP Norman Baker met with members of Mitchell House Residents' Association to discuss the problems with local youngsters.

He said the police had agreed to step up their presence in the area after residents reported they had been intimidated.

Officers also planned to write to parents in the neighbouring estate to ask them to keep an eye on their children.

The MP has now promised to take up the matter again on behalf of the residents who say the situation has not improved and they are still being terrorised by the youngsters.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "It's making life a misery.

"It's very difficult to get the police up here because they haven't got the manpower.

"We have had this kind of problem for a long time now. Bricks get thrown onto the roof, they are running around banging the windows. We even had bags of dog muck thrown at windows once.

"It's a bit of a hell hole here at the moment."

The residents association has invited police to a meeting at Mitchell House today to discuss solutions to the problem.