Claim Ludlow terrorised by children as young as 12

Drunken children as young as 12 are vandalising buildings in Ludlow town centre, smashing windows and climbing on roofs, it was claimed today.

Town clerk Veronica Calderbank said she spent more than an hour on Wednesday night pleading with a group of youths to leave the Buttercross where they were spitting beer, urinating and being abusive.

Carol Richards, manager of Edinburgh Woollen Mill in the Bull Ring, said she set up a fence around her shop after two windows were smashed nearby and youths climbed on to the roof.

Ms Calderbank wants police to explain why they failed to respond on Wednesday. Officers say they were committed to other incidents.

She said: "I couldn't believe it – there were seven of them, some definitely no more than 12 – so I rang the police."