A RYEDALE village which has been targeted by vandals for the second time in a week has been declared a priority area by police.

As a result police presence at Swinton is set to be stepped up as villagers declare war on gangs of youths who they say are making their lives a misery.

Their anger gathered momentum this week when it was discovered that 87 beer cans and 478 beer bottles many of them smashed had been found close to the bowling club and children's play area.

The bowling green has been damaged for a second time but through the skills of two groundsmen, Peter Powell and Matt Fenwick, it has been restored and matches are not expected to be affected.

Mr Fenwick, who is also chairman of the parish council, which is to discuss the vandalism issue at its meeting tonight, said: "It is disgusting. We are taking whatever action we can to combat this criminal damage."

The Gazette & Herald understands that other incidents have seen residents threatened by youths late at night and a nearby phone box smashed with the legs of a seat stolen from the bowling club.

But while the damage has centred on Swinton, the culprits are believed to be from areas such as Malton, Slingsby, Welburn and Norton, said Mr Fenwick.

"The youths are congregating in the children's play area and we are exploring ways of keeping them out because they have smashed bottles leaving broken glass which has become a serious potential hazard to youngsters."

Glass from the smashed bottles is an even bigger risk to children because much of it is green and as a result it blends into the grass making it difficult to see.

Among the ideas likely to be discussed at tonight's meeting in the village will be drafting in a mobile CCTV camera. The green was damaged by metal poles used as a boundary for a car park alongside the parish council-owned playground.

Swinton's troubles with vandals and gangs has been going on for the past year, said Mr Fenwick, but has become worse in the last few weeks.

The parish council erected goal posts to provide the young people with somewhere to burn up their energy but it had little effect on the troublemakers, many of whom are aged between 16 and 20 and includes girls as well as boys. However, some are believed to be just 13.

Another concerned Swinton resident, who asked not to be named, said: I just wonder what the parents of these kids are doing, allowing them out to cause this sort of damage and aggravation. They should be ashamed.'' Other damage has included breaking the clock on the bowling club's pavilion and damaging the weather vane, both of which the club says it wants to repair but has limited funds to do so.

"We have seen an unbelievable amount of broken glass in the area near the playground. It is very worrying because children as young as two use the area and they are seriously at risk."

Mr Powell, the village's neighbourhood watch co-ordinator, who has been the bowling green groundsman for several years, said: "I suspect that one of the metal posts was thrown on to the green because it left a perfect hole. Fortunately, it fell in a corner which is not likely to be used for many of our matches."

"We have been told by the police not to confront these young people. There appear to be factions local kids who seem to go home about 11 pm, and older ones from outside the village who use it as a late-night drinking area."

PC Richard Houghton of Malton police, said they were now mounting a daily surveillance of Swinton following the latest spate of damage.

"We now regard it as a hot spot and it will be targeted as such by the police."