RESIDENTS of a Poole estate are living in fear of feral youths who are mutilating animals in a bid to intimidate people.

In the latest of a series of grotesque incidents on the Bourne Estate, three wild rabbits were ripped up and their remains spread over a car.

Denis Hamon, who lives on Milborne Crescent, made the discovery at around 10pm on Sunday.

He said: “It is sick and mindless. They have no understanding of what is right and wrong.”

Mr Hamon said other disturbing incidents in recent months included the blood of a beheaded chicken being squirted on his front door, and pigeons being tied together and thrown into his house.

Asher Nardone, who has a seriously disabled child and has been a victim of 22 incidents of “gangland mentality”, including smashed windows and having her car vandalised numerous times, said she knew of 20 animal cruelty cases.

“A Guinea pig was stolen and stamped on with kids shouting, ‘Go on, make its eyes pop out’, until the poor little creature suffered the most horrific death,” she said.

Ms Nardone said she feared the people who think nothing of killing an animal could next commit murder.

She added: “Good people are being driven out while scumbags dominate this estate like something out of Mad Max or a sick horror film.”

Cllr Tony Woodcock, Poole council’s portfolio holder for children’s services, renewed his calls for a round-table meeting between police and council officers.

“It is absolutely outrageous that anyone in Poole is having to live in fear like this,” he said. “We have got a serious problem here and it’s affecting the whole of the neighbourhood.

“I can’t understand why the police are not protecting the public. They do not seem to be doing their job.”

However, Inspector Adrian King, who covers the area, said: “This was a very distressing incident and we have an active police enquiry in hand to establish the facts.”

He said there was a dedicated Safer Neighbourhood Team and the force was taking the incident very seriously.

A spokesman for Poole council said: “The council is aware of the recent incidents and is working closely with other agencies, including the police, to deal with the matter.”