THREE teenagers accused of terrorising their neighbours have lifted the lid on a scene of gang culture on their estate.

Lewi Cornish, 17, his sister Nicolle, 16, and their 15-year-old friend Jamie-Lee Alford contacted the Dorset Echo to tell their story after recognising themselves in photographs and video footage captured by a family in Magnolia Close in Littlemoor, Weymouth.

They and their families say residents have become so fearful of a well-known teenage gang called Littlemoor Soldiers, or LMS for short, that people have become fearful of all teenagers there and are over-reacting to innocent play.

Lewi - who spends much of his time babysitting - said: "I don't cause any trouble, but we can't seem to do anything right round here.

"We probably have got on people's nerves playing football sometimes, but I said sorry.

"We could be sitting on the street doing absolutely nothing. I have been reported to the police before now for sitting on the street outside my house."

The teenagers say local gang members range in age from 13 to 21-year-olds.

They are often seen out on the estate in groups until 3am or 4am intimidating people - or becoming involved in violent fights.

Nicolle, who has been involved in campaigning for more facilities at Littlemoor youth club Top Club, said: "They fight in gangs and if you say the wrong thing they will kick you half to death.

"LMS have now taken over our youth club. You go in there and if they don't like you they will kick you out.

"It wouldn't be so bad if there was only a couple of them, but there's about 50 of them, some up to their 20s."

Jamie-Lee's mother, Deborah Alford, said the youngsters had been playing football but stressed the need for parents to communicate with each other and support each other.

She said: "We are worried that these kids have been classed as the same as this gang, and they are not.

"If they were terrors and had ASBOs I would understand.

"They are no angels by a long shot, they can get on your nerves. But if they do something wrong they get pulled up on it and get grounded.

"If they are in the wrong place at the wrong time we as parents will ask them to move on."

Lewi and Nicolle's mother Zena Cornish said the way teenagers are stereotyped meant her children had been condemned as yobs.

She said: "I don't know why someone didn't say something to us. If someone had knocked on my door I would have done something about it.

"It doesn't help that these two are the size they are, and Lewi has all his tattoos.

"But they are not bad kids."

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