SHOP owners and their families say they are too scared to go out after a series of racist attacks.

And a community leader today called for more police help after claiming teenagers were terrorising her estate.

A family, of Worcester Road, Blackburn, mini supermarket, who were too scared to give their names, said their shop front door window was smashed while the shop was open on Friday night before racist graffiti was painted on their shutters just half an hour after closing.

And Abdul Fozdar, 42, owner of AZ Groceries, of Hereford Road, said bottles and racial abuse had been hurled at his wife and children on Saturday morning.

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with racially aggravated criminal damage in connection with the incident at Worcester Road. A 17 year-old has been charged with a similar offence at AZ Groceries and both were due to appear at Blackburn Magistrates Court today.

Jacqueline McGrew, chairman of Whitebirk and Intack Tenants and Residents' Association, said residents were also scared to leave their houses after dark for yobs fighting in the streets at weekends.

Mrs McGrew said the only way to stop the trouble was more police after residents felt abandoned by them.

She said the trouble had started about three years ago and had got progressively worse. She said people had lost faith in calling the police because they rarely came out.

She added: "People have been disillusioned, they call up and cars never seem to come so people stop ringing and then the police don't see it for themselves. If they did they would know just how bad it is."

Mr Fozdar said: "The behaviour is hurtful and it is starting to scare the children so much that they won't go and play out.

"I want something to be done to stop this behaviour. I am absolutely fed up."

Police Inspector Stuart Bruce said: "This type of behaviour is disgraceful. It is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

"We will be trying our best to ensure no-one on the estate is made the subject of this sort of behaviour."

He said police patrols would be taken up a level to help the community to feel safer and reassured with two police men also on foot patrol around the estate.

He added: "They have more police cars passing through as well now that we are at based at Whitebirk."