IT IS a proud community in one of Hampshire’s safest cities.

But residents say they fear Winchester’s Stanmore estate could soon face “all-out war” because of students’ late-night partying and antisocial behaviour, a campaigner warned.

Fed-up locals have told how their neighbourhood is at “breaking point” with house parties keeping children awake, properties being damaged, bins overflowing and parking making roads congested.

Incidents reported by residents to the Daily Echo include:

• Students overturning a Robin Reliant car l Children being kept awake until 3am by late-night parties

• A student being so drunk they fell asleep in a family’s garden 

• Students making their way home from a night out, urinating in gardens and on trees.

The problem has got so bad that more than 300 people, who are also concerned about the number of family homes in their community now being turned into student digs, have now added their name to a petition.

They are demanding city councillors bring forward a proposed rule forcing landlords to get planning permission before converting houses into houses of multiple occupation (HMOs), which are popular with Winchester University students.

William Gledhill, of Green Jacket Close, said: “It’s absolutely horrendous. The animosity is building year-on-year. The students don’t care about the residents that live here at all.”

There are around 330 HMOs in the area and that number is set to increase in the next two years as investors supply private housing for the university’s rapidly expanding student base.

Petition creator Amanda Chard, of Drayton Street, said: “It’s not far off an all-out war between long-time residents and students.”

Students have hit back at the claims, saying they feel like scapegoats for trouble caused by a minority of locals and their peers.

Abi Johnson, a liberal arts student living in Cromwell Road, said a nearby family house played “crazy loud” music while youngsters got the flak.

She said: “We’re all being blamed but in fact, we are sat in the living room with a glass of wine.”

Local councillor Jamie Scott warned that an “anti-student campaign” would aggravate tensions.

He said: “I’m not stupid – I’ve lived here all my life. I know there’s an issue here but it’s how you handle that.”