John Barnett, chairman of the Horden Colliery Residents' Association, says problem youths in his neighbourhood have left him so frustrated he has had to resort to spending his own savings on the drastic measures.

He claims the stress caused by the antics of the tearaway youths are making his life a misery, while his 67-year-old wife Pat is being treated for a skin condition brought on by stress.

Mr Barnett's attempt to deter the yobs comes as police reveal scores of residents in east Durham have fitted their own CCTV and a communal camera has been installed to cover the whole street.

A new CCTV camera was installed recently by the Easington Community Safety Partnership's Streetsafe initiative to capture anti-social behaviour in the street, but John has added to his own security.

Mr Barnett, 66, said: "They have been the bane of our lives for a long, long time.

"It is driving my wife mad and making us both depressed. My wife, who never goes to the doctor's at all, has now suddenly had to go because of it."

The couple, who moved to Horden from Warwickshire five years ago, say they have had their front door locks superglued.

Their garage door has been daubed with resin and shot at with an air rifle, and their house sprayed with paint.

They have received malicious calls along with unwanted taxis and takeaway food sent to their door.

Referring to the decision to buy their own cameras, Mrs Barnett said: "It won't make us move. In the main, the majority of people in Horden are upstanding generous people. You wouldn't believe what we have been through."

Mr Barnett added: "It's making everyone's lives a misery, to be honest. But I think perhaps we have a bit more high profile than the others due to the residents' association that we get more of it."

Sergeant Ian Dickinson, of Peterlee Police, said reports of anti-social behaviour in the street were being dealt with.

He added: "It is not uncommon for people to have CCTV. There are probably six or seven in the Eden Hill area of Peterlee so if you times that by the wards it could be hundreds.

"I wouldn't find this alarming, it is more a crime prevention method. In fact, it is a benefit to us – obviously if something does happen we can look at footage and use it as evidence."