OUT of control teenage thugs ambushed a family and hurled stones at a two-year-old as they continue to cause misery roaming streets in the centre of Greenock.

A frightened mum-of-three was forced to flee with her children when they came under attack from the gang, some as young as 10-years-old. The woman and her children faced a volley of verbal abuse and were threatened with violence at the Waterfront Retail Park.

It was the second attack the Greenock mum and her family had endured, as she suffers reprisals and is targeted by the anti-social yobs.

She is one of a number of residents who have fallen victim to the thugs who are running amok. The shocked 32-year-old, from the Wellington Street/Bank Street area, said: “I was absolutely terrified and just wanted to get my children to safety.

“What kind of people are they, throwing stones at a two-year-old?  All I could hear was them shouting ‘hit the wee one’.

“She was just sitting on her wee ride-on and didn’t have any idea what was going on. It made me so angry.

“We have been targeted because I have stood up to them – I asked them to move away from my front window. They have shouted abuse, thrown plastic bottles at our window and threatened my children.”

Since trying to move the gang of troublemakers on from outside her house, they have shouted abuse at the family including her 13-year-old, 10-year-old and now her two-year-old girl.

She added: “Before that I was in the Wellpark playing Pokemon with my oldest two when we were attacked.

“They threw stones and one of the 10-year-olds shouted that they were going to slash us. I am frightened for my children.”

On that occasion, the mum was so alarmed that she took her family straight to the police station.

The Tele recently revealed how a small group of youths are swaggering around the area from Bank Street right up to Broomhill and causing mayhem.

They have vandalised properties and cars and abused and threatened residents in a campaign of intimidation and disorder which has now lasted eight months.

One resident said: “They have caused thousands of pounds of damage but no-one seems able to do anything about it. Some of their parents couldn’t care less.”

Greenock police and community wardens have stepped up patrols in the area in response to the disturbances.

The Greenock mum added: “The police officers have been great. I have noticed more patrols and a visible police presence.

“They have been in to the schools to speak to the kids but these youngsters think they are above the law.”

Inspector Julie MacDonald of Greenock police says she wants members of the public to phone the police when they see youths causing disturbances.

Insp MacDonald said: “We have increased patrols and we are working with the community. Our neighbourhood team has been working very hard and we have had a meeting with residents.

“We know the amount of work that is going in to regenerate the area, and we don’t want it spoiled with mindless vandalism.

“I would appeal again to the community to come to us with any information that they have. We can do lots of early prevention work and we have spoken to youngsters involved, and their parents.  There are other avenues that we can pursue when it comes to anti-social behaviour, like looking at the tenancies of parents.”