Residents are demanding action over the underpass next to the mothballed Chatteris Tesco which has become a hotspot for anti-social behaviour.

Cambs Times: Chatteris underpass to Tesco.Chatteris underpass to Tesco. (Image: Archant)

Graffiti is plastered on the walls and youngsters chuck cans into back gardens. The underpass is meant to be monitored by CCTV but it is not yet up and running.

Tesco says the underpass is the responsibility of Cambridgeshire County Council, which is disputed by the council.

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesman said: “The underpass is still in the possession of Tesco’s agents. It has not been adopted by us and the company is still carrying out work in the area.”

Gerald Clark, whose garden backs on to the underpass, said: “Our worst nightmares are coming to fruition. There are objects thrown over the back wall so we are worried about our garden. Youngsters are using the underpass as a rendez-vous place. What else have the youngsters of Chatteris got to do? It’s a shame.

Cambs Times: The underpass which leads to the Tesco store.The underpass which leads to the Tesco store. (Image: Archant)

“The underpass is covered in graffiti yet we were told it’s graffiti proof. We were told this underpass would not be open until CCTV was live so it could be managed yet we have no CCTV. Why is it open?

“We want answers. Was the underpass needed? Questions we had about it have I’m afraid come to fruition. It’s very worrying living at the back of it.”

Fish and chip shop owner Mark Petrou, of the Petrou Brothers, said: “It’s going to cause problems. There’s this frustration I’m sensing from customers who come into the shop. It’s not good enough.

“As a community we all have a duty to know where our children are and what they are doing. The underpass is certainly a concern.

“Tesco has a responsibility to the community. After all, they came along and made a lot of promises. They’ve got to keep their end of the bargain.”

Fenland District Council says the CCTV will be up and running soon.

A FDC spokesman said: “We’re hoping that the CCTV cameras will be up and running shortly. Because they will be situated on land owned by the county council, we are checking with officers there that it’s OK for us to go ahead and install them.

“As soon as we get that confirmed, we’ll put them in place and start monitoring activities there.”

Cambridgeshire County Councillor Dave Connor, who visited the site with fellow councillor Sandra Rylance on Friday, says he would like to assure the people of Chatteris that “things are moving on”.

He said: “I’ve looked in to it and the cameras have been ordered. I’ve spoken to Liz Dent (the developer) and she said the fencing will be taken away as soon as Anglian Water sort out a nearby pumping station.

“Things are moving on, although we still have not been told by Tesco when the store will open.”