A RESIDENTS' group is to consult with people who live in a sheltered housing complex in Worcester, following the destruction of a 75ft-long fence.

The Riverside Residents Group will ask people who live in St Clement's Sheltered Accommodation for their views after the fence on Church Walk, which runs alongside the centre, was completely smashed by teenagers over a three-day period at the weekend.

Kate Marshall, who is the manager of the Dines Green Housing Complex, which manages the St Clement's site, said several options were considered at the meeting held yesterday.

"These included not replacing the fence, putting in a handrail or having a gravel board fence," she said.

She added that consultation would not take long and they hoped to have something in place within weeks.

However, some residents in St. Clement's, which is the largest sheltered housing complex in the West Midlands, housing some 700 people, believe that any replacement may also end up being vandalised.

"If you build a wall they will break that down," said one elderly resident, who did not want to be named, "CCTV is the answer but they will not pay for that."

Another resident voiced her desire for CCTV to be placed around the complex.

"If they can put CCTV in the town then they can do it up here," she said.

City councillor Richard Udall, who represents St Clement's, said many residents, who are mainly elderly, felt they were prisoners in their own homes and their safety and security was a growing concern.

"I will be asking the police to pay some attention to the area," he said.

"The residents rightly expect to see police officers in their area in order to offer some reassurance."

He said the next meeting of the city council's housing board on Wednesday, April 16, would discuss safety and security at the complex.