There are several traders at the top end of Holton Road who are in a very difficult position.

A large gang of about 12 lads, in their late teens or early twenties, are intimidating shop-keepers and seem to have set out to become a mini-crime wave.

We want to stress that we are not against all the young people who live along this stretch of road. Most of them are very nice to deal with. But this gang are stealing from us, attempting to break into our cars and generally behaving in a very threatening way.

We have every sympathy for the police, who come when we call and have done everything they can to find and stop this gang. But they are still walking around with cans of lager at midday, making everyone around here - traders and public alike - very uncomfortable.

We want to put a stop to this terrible time, but we are too threatened to stand out of the crowd and make ourselves into targets.

We need help. We need more CCTV cameras installed here as a deterrent. If there are any people reading this letter who are experiencing the same hopeless situation, put pen to paper and let us know. The more of us who get together, the more chance we have of stopping this senseless crime spree.

Holton Road Traders (Bassett end)