Frightened Tamatea couple get sympathy and support from home owners in similar situation

Tamatea residents are fed up with crime in their area.

A Tamatea couple who say they have effectively been under siege in their neighbourhood due to roaming and intimidating youths have received sympathy and support from another Napier couple who said they too had to deal with "neighbours from hell" for about two years.

"They are certainly not the only people going through this."

The elderly Tamatea residents, who have lived in the street (which they did not want to identify for fear of possible retaliation by the teenagers who they said stalked the neighbourhood) had lived there for 27 years but were now considering selling up and getting out.

That drew the attention of several people on Facebook who sympathised with the couple's plight, as well as the couple who also spoke of a blight which had descended on their neighbourhood when bad neighbours moved into a rental property next door.

"We also have had to deal with neighbours from hell - for over two years we were abused, threatened and watched by them," the man wrote in an email message.

He continued to add "lights put through our windows at 3am, the list goes on...".

The couple had called police about the problem and he said while they looked into it and were "wonderful" in the end there was little they could do.

The Tamatea couple also said police had done what they could but accepted they did not have the resources to be everywhere at once.

They believed the teenagers causing the problems, which included fighting, roaming the streets at night and banging on windows, knew there was little likelihood of police being around so continued to behave the way they did.

In his message of support the man said in their case a lot of the responsibility lay with the landlord who rented the property to their troublesome neighbours.

He said he contacted the landlord but he did not seem to care.

"Because the house is badly needing work done to it he was happy just receiving rent and did not care about neighbours - nor did he care who or how many people were living in the home.

"I believe that landlords need to be made reliable for the tenants they put into their homes and listen to neighbours' complaints," he said, adding police had also spoken to the landlord but nothing had changed.

"I also think the council should fine landlords if there are continuing complaints and the council should supply people who have complained with evidence that they are following it up."

Hawke's Bay Police Area Commander Inspector Tania Kura said Tamatea community constable Mike Burne had been doing a lot of work for the community and had been in contact with the family of some youths.

"Mike is really committed to this and he sincerely cares about what is going on and he will help people - he can point them in the right direction."

Ms Kura said there was a case for extended families involved to step in to help in such situations.

"He has been working with the family because he wants to help and as a lot of people there have told us, he is doing a very good job."

She said Mr Burne wanted to continue working with the Tamatea community, and those affected, to solve the problem and would continue to get out and communicate with residents.

For people with concerns it was a simple case of "contact him - have a talk with him".

Ms Kura said as it was in many situations police were unable to be in any specific area at all times of the day.

It was a situation they were well aware of and working to resolve.