Residents living on the Longmead estate have rejected council claims the area is improving and asked for more help to deal with unruly yobs.

In a recent statement, Epsom Council claimed graffiti on the estate had almost been eradicated, crime had been reduced and there were "noticeable improvements" throughout.

Councillor Mike Richardson said he was pleased with the progress his authority was making in the area and that tackling antisocial behaviour and "enhancing the visual appearance of the local environment" were two of the council's key priorities.

But one resident was angry at what she called the "whitewash" and spoke about what she experiences living on the estate.

The 23-year-old, who lives with her partner and their son off Nimbus Road, said they had now taken the decision to move and escape the constant fear.

"We had kids smashing our balcony window with an airgun last summer," she said. "And last week we had our bedroom window smashed with a catapult, which is where our baby sleeps.

"My son could have been covered in glass if he had been in the room at the time, luckily it happened in the day when we were all out.

"There's a building site near to us and they break in there all the time. The other day they pushed a portable toilet over. You can hear them rattle the temporary fencing when they go through it at night.

"My neighbour had one of her windows smashed and had kids climbing on to the roof of the porch over the flats and put graffiti all over it. And they are kids - they're nine or 10 years old.

"I've lived here for nearly five years and it's got a lot worse. It was a nice place when we moved in but not anymore. I would never walk around here at night, I just don't feel safe."

On hearing about the problems which are continuing on the estate, Coun Richardson said he hoped things would start improving.

"Obviously I'm sad to hear that there are reports that people think things haven't improved," he said.

"I would certainly encourage them to report any of this to the various agencies such as the police or Rosebery Housing Association. Unless these incidents are reported the agencies don't get to hear about them."

Longmead became the borough's first "community safety action zone" following a spate of vandalism and arson attacks.

The zone is based on a plan implemented in an area of Bexley, south-east London, which suffered from robbery, burglaries and antisocial behaviour.

A council spokeswoman said it would help the council, police and Rosebery Housing Association make improvements.

She said: "These agencies work together to tackle crime, antisocial behaviour and behaviour which is harmful to the environment.

"Residents are encouraged to report issues such as youth disorder, environmental crimes and criminal damage such as graffiti and vandalism."