Youngsters from a school are 'out of control', one fed up woman has claimed.

Madeline Cochrane, of Shannon's Close in Sandy, has hit out at Sandy Upper School about the amount of litter on the estate caused by students at the school.

At an annual meeting of Sandy Town Council this week she brought up the problem, which she claims has been going on for the last 18 months, with the town councillors.

She said: "The students at the school are completely out of control. They come out of school during school hours, hang around behind my garden fence smoking cigarettes and throwing litter into my garden.

"I have to go around and collect countless bags of rubbish because of this. I have had meetings with the headteacher and he promises me something will be done but it hasn't."

District councillor John Gurney replied saying that Mid Beds District Council was working with Beds Police with the Police Community Support Officers being given powers to fine anyone who litters in the street.

Another resident said: "Recently I read a report that said one of the town councillors thought the town looked shabby.

"I think if a town councillor thinks this about Sandy then the council needs to look into doing something about the state of the roads."

But town mayor Colin Osborne said that it wasn't the town council's responsibility to deal with the litter and it is down to Mid Beds.

Cllr Gurney, who is also the chair of governors at the school, said: "Once the students leave the school premises they are no longer the school's responsibility.

"But having said that the school does have two senior members of staff patrolling the school to try to combat the problem.

"In respect to the children not being in school when they should be I have made note of that and will pass it on the headteacher."

He added that the school is also looking at introducing an electronic registration system, which would make it harder for students to play truant.