Some residents chose to sell up and move out

Six teenagers and one 28-year-old man were accused of various offences including throwing bricks through windows, shouting abuse at residents and drugs offences around Brill House in Neasden, Brent.

Brent Housing Partnership and police made an application for anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) to be taken out against them after numerous complaints from residents over two years.

On Friday a judge issued the orders against seven of the eight defendants at Brent Magistrates Court. One order was turned down.

The court heard the youths had taken fuses out of electrical boxes plunging elderly residents into darkness.

Cleaners were too frightened to work on the estate and police cars would be surrounded and pelted with stones, fireworks and mud, the judge was told.

It's just been traumatic and I'm still not back to normal Former resident Danny Jones

Some residents had sold up and left the area.

Among them was Danny Jones, who had lived there for 30 years.

He left with his family after his windows was repeatedly broken and he was hit on the head with a brick.

"We still haven't settled and I'm still on tablets," he said.

"It's just been traumatic and I'm still not back to normal, I don't think I ever will be."

The seven are banned from the estate and from gathering in groups of more than three in the rest of the borough. They could face jail if they break the order.

Between them the group have secured over 100 convictions and an interim ASBO served in April to prevent them gathering on the estate has been broken.

But police say since then complaints have dropped and residents have noticed an improvement.