Residents in a Gold Coast community have formed their own local neighbourhood watch group after becoming increasingly fed up with youth thugs stealing cars.

More than a dozen cars have still been stolen from Avanti Street in Mermaid Waters.

One neighbour has had two cars stolen within a week.

Local Graham Herlihy says crime has escalated in the past two years.

“People in this street, we are just fed up,” he told Scott Emerson.

“Every few nights there are young people roaming the streets, checking cars, attempting to break in.”

He said they break in to get the car keys and steal cars.

Neighbours have a lot of footage of the young crooks, he says.

They’ve been disappointed with local authorities and say their lifestyle is being threatened by the youth crime wave.

Press PLAY below to hear why they’re disappointed with the response from authorities

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