RESIDENTS of a street at the centre of a get-tough policy to tackle yobs say their ‘living hell’ has returned.

Troublemakers in Buckley’s Lyme Grove were hit by a zero-tolerance injunction last year.

The move, the first of its kind in Flintshire, won praise from residents who said it had calmed the worst of the problems, which included late-night drinking and regular harassment.

But since the order expired last month, desperate residents say their lives are being made unbearable once more.

A man who lives on the street, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said residents lived in terror of being threatened and had had to call police five times since the injunction expired.

He described the situation as ‘hell’ and called for swift action to deal with the problems.

Flintshire Council leader Cllr Arnold Woolley, whose Buckley ward includes Lyme Grove, said troublemakers had clearly responded to the injunction which was taken out by Flintshire Council.

He added: “They obviously know how to behave. Residents had a quiet and pleasant remainder of the summer last year and nothing major happened over the Christmas period, showing they can behave when pushed.”

But since the order ended there had been complaints over foul language and fights, among other incidents.

He added: “This has resulted in people not being able to sleep at night, which is not fair when they have to go to work in the morning.

“When the injunction came up for renewal the housing department spoke with those concerned and warned them that their behaviour over the last year had been good, but if they returned to their old ways they would use whatever legal or departmental options it became necessary to take to make sure families on the street have peace and tranquillity.”