Shocked but what can I do?

[joanna4]

There are 2 boys who live in the next street they are a bit younger than all the kids on the street when they come up to play all hell breaks loose after a while.The language fronm them is disgraceful.Last week I spoke to them about the inpact their general behaviour has on the other kids-ie that no one wants to play with them, they absolutely couldnt understand me because I was speaking to them in a normal tone instead of how their parents deal with them.
This is the worst though I was gardening today and I cut our hedge and there was something metal stashed in it.When i looked there were 2 iron bars and a copper pipe.My son who is 12 and was out with me said oh they were x and y's (the 2 boys) they were going round the street threatening other kids with them.He hid them in our hedge to stop this.I am totally shocked also yesterday they drew all over a child who plays out who was ready to go to a wedding waiting outside his house ruining all his clothes but parents did not want to know when his mum went down. Is there any advice anyone can give before someone is seriously injured -these boys are 6 and 9 years old.

I'd call the police! They sound like children who have had no guidance whatsoever in life! Not their fault really, is it? If their parents treat each awful thing they do as if it is nothing, they are not bothered. Sounds to me like they want and need attention!

antisocial behaviour orders. Think police route would be best

You could ask the local beat police officer or communty support officer to go and have words with this family. Their uniform might make the parents sit up and take a bit more notice. Whilst the lads are too young for formal police proceedings (yet!) there is a case for the police to intervene as these las are committing criminal acts and like you said somebody could get seriously hurt. There are local youth inclusion panels specifically for kids this age - where they are acting violently or anti socially but getting away with it due to their age - who try and intervene before the kids get to an age where they would be arrested. These teams really do alter the kids behaviour and do work with the parents on their parenting skills. If it was simple rowdiness then I'd either ignore it or go to the parents personally but if these two are assaulting others, carrying weapons as you've described and the parents don't give a damn then the police should get involved.

Perhaps social services need to be made aware of this family.

I would keep your children away from them and leave it at that, really there's nothing you can productively do and you risk getting your windows put through if the mother is that way inclined.