Edlington attacks: The quiet Yorkshire estate terrorised by two brothers

The attacks that shocked Britain: Full coverage

Despite much soul-searching focusing on Edlington, where the attacks took place, the youngsters lived on an otherwise quiet estate in a different part of the Doncaster area until just a few weeks before the incident.

The ordinary families who lived near them for many years spoke of the senseless vandalism and sporadic violence the boys and their family brought to their neighbourhood.

They described how they believed the brothers were products of their chaotic upbringing by their mother and her partner, resulting in a plague of abuse and anti-social behaviour.

One man, typical of many, talked about frequent damage to cars, stones thrown at windows and buses, and constant noise and abuse, with police visiting the family's home "two or three times a week".

Others in the community spoke of random acts of violence, including one incident when one of the brothers attacked an 11-year-old girl with a baseball bat.

After the two brothers were arrested and the rest of their family moved out of their dilapidated semi accompanied by a fleet of council and police vehicles, other residents gathered to watch and celebrate their departure.

One man with a young family said: "I think everyone is so pleased they've gone they're thinking of holding a street party. I can put my car out now without fear it will be wrecked. I can let my kids out to play now."

Their next-door neighbours described the misery the family had inflicted on them. The 11-year-old girl kept of a diary of the anti-social and racist behaviour she endured which included throwing stones at her mother.

Her father described how the boy's mother told him: "F*** off, they're nothing to do with me." The boys had lived in the street for about eight years.

The estate is otherwise quiet. Many of the houses have been bought from the local authority and have been renovated. The wreck of a property the boys lived in provided a depressing contrast to those around it with its graffiti strewn walls and garden filled with all manner of rubbish.

It had a "Beware of the Kids" sign hung by the front door.

The boys lived there with their mother, 36, and some of her other five sons, aged between eight and 18 years old.

Her partner of many years lived with them until a short time before the two boys were put into foster care and moved to Edlington, just weeks before the attack.

Neighbours said the partner was a "violent drunk" and laughed when asked what he did for a living.

A woman said: "His life was drink, drink, drink, go out, come back, kick off, beat the kids, drink, drink, drink."

Other people said the brothers appeared to live a scavenging existence in the area, often stealing what they needed or "salvaging" clothes from skips.

"She never cooked a meal for them," one neighbour said.

"They just scavenged for food or just ate fish and chips and stuff."

But one person who had suffered constant problems with the brothers conceded: "All they wanted was a bit of sympathy - a bit of love from their parents. For them to get into trouble they were getting attention from their parents."

The boys were placed in foster care in Edlington three weeks before the attack on the two boys.