A COUPLE say they are ready to move out of their shop and home next door after being subjected to a long-running campaign of terror and racist abuse by a gang of youths .

They say the last 18 months have been a "living hell".

Harilal Bhabhani and his wife Chandan run a newsagents in Thicketford Road, Tonge Moor.

Over the past year and a half the louts have:-

Racially abused the couple.

Thrown bottles, stones and mud pies at their shop.

Covered their newsagents and their home next door in graffiti.

Vandalised their car 24 times, slashing the tyres, ripping off the wing mirrors, kicking the boot and denting the bonnet.

Stolen goods from their shop.

Left cans and bottles of alcohol outside the premises.

The couple, who have run Tushar's News for the last six years, are so fed up that they want to sell up.

Mr Bhabhani said: "We have banned a lot of them because they kept coming in and stealing from us.

"After 5pm, we have no trade because no-one dares come near the shop. We have been forced to install CCTV and shutters and have spent thousands of pounds, but it never stops. Every night of every week we know something is going to happen. When we wake up in the morning, we ask ourselves if it is worth getting up?"

The couple said other traders had also been affected. A pie shop had its window smashed and a nearby charity shop was broken into.

The problems have become so bad that police bosses drafted in special constables into the area at the weekend.

In particular, the police were trying to stop youths throwing stones and bottles at passing motorists and buses.

Off-licence owner Kantilal Mepani said the level of anti-social behaviour was disturbing. He said: "The youths laugh at the police and even put bottles under the tyres of their cars. They throw mud bombs and stones at passing cars and at my shop and have smashed my windows. I spent £400 painting the shop and the next day it was covered in graffiti."

An old people's home opposite the shops has been forced to erect an 8ft-high metal fence to stop trouble from the youths.

Tonge councillor Frank White warned parents to keep their children under control -- or risk eviction from council properties.

He said: "Parents in local authority housing have a responsibility for the conduct of their youngsters. The local authority can take action against them under anti-social behaviour procedures."

He added that trading standards inspectors would be carrying out random checks on local off-licences to see if youngsters were getting alcohol.