Groups of rowdy thugs have been yelling abuse at motorists and blocking roads in a city suburb.

The mother of a four-year-old was confronted by the nuisance gang near Morse Pavilion in Thorpe St Andrew on Monday evening.

The mum, who cannot be identified, said the individuals were hiding in nearby bushes and left her little girl very frightened.

There have also been reports of groups of people throwing objects at passing cars in the area - as well as stopping traffic with cones.

A spokeswoman for Thorpe St Andrew Town Council, which owns the pavilion, said: "Our CCTV does not cover the public highway. The town council were not made aware of this but I understand that the police were present."

County councillor, Ian Mackie, said: "Crime and antisocial behaviour is thankfully very low in Thorpe, and active steps are taken to nip issues in the bud by working closely with the local neighbourhood police and other agencies.

"However, like most large towns there is sadly always a small minority who wish to be a nuisance and in particular follow the latest social media stunt."

Mr Mackie was referring to a spate of incidents which saw baked beans lobbed at homes.

On the suspicion that the perpetrators of the beans craze were under-18s, Mr Mackie added: "The important point is that 100s of young people are a credit to themselves, their families and their community.

"From litter picking, caring for the environment, representing the town in sport and their studies, working in local businesses and making a positive contribution.

"I was only recently reminded of this by the large numbers of uniformed young people that took part in our Remembrance Sunday parade.”

Nick Brewer, who runs The Little Park Café in Sir George Morse Park with his wife Natalie, said he was not aware of any issues as he had just got back from holiday.

But he has pledged to keep an eye out for any problems.

A spokeswoman for Norfolk Police said they welcome people reporting any crime or anti-social behaviour on 101.