
A gang of thugs have trashed a brand new housing estate's community centre and now use it to take drugs and peddle ice.

Once a tranquil space for western Melbourne families to congregate, Ecoville Community Park in Tarneit is now a no-go zone.

Furniture, windows, and even walls are smashed, rubbish is strewn everywhere, along with drug paraphenalia including bongs, and graffiti covers every surface.

Some of the graffiti included the letters 'MTS' - an apparent reference to the ethnic African youth gang calling itself Menace to Society.

A gang of thugs of appearance have trashed a brand new housing estate's community centre and now use it to take drugs and peddle ice

Once a tranquil space for western Melbourne families to congregate, Ecoville Community Park in Tarneit is now a no-go zone

Menace to Society, linked to the infamous Apex gang, had its 'MTS' initials tagged on walls around the centre

Wyndam Police described a disturbing scene last month when they arrived at Ecoville after reports of antisocial behaviour, and two youths were given infringements for behaving in a riotous and offensive manner and a 17-year-old boy (pictured) charged with resisting arrest

Some destroyed appliances were burned out, along with black marks on some walls indicating something rooms had been torched, and in other cases TVs were smashed and thrown outside.

Police made frequent arrests at the park but appear to have little effect in making African gang members leave the area and stop destroying the centre.

The youths appear to be from numerous gangs, including Menace to Society, linked to the infamous Apex gang, with its 'MTS' initials tagged on walls around the centre.

Wyndam Police described a disturbing scene last month when they arrived at Ecoville after reports of antisocial behaviour.

'Whilst there conducting a recon of the area, the officers were approached by a large group of youths demanding to know what the police were doing in 'their park', among other pleasantries,' they said.

Police had to radio for backup and two youths were given infringements for behaving in a riotous and offensive manner and a 17-year-old boy charged with resisting arrest.

Ecoville Community Park when it opened, before the youth gangs moved in and vandalised it

MTD had its tags all over the trashed centre, indicating it was one of the gangs involved in the mayhem

This bong was seen lying in plain site amid reports that the African youths were using the centre to use and deal drugs

Black marks on some walls indicating something rooms had been torched and then further vandalised with graffiti

Some destroyed appliances were burned out, like this airconditioning system seen inside the centre

Residents near the community centre say they are fearful as African teens go on nightly rampages through the area, damaging nearby homes.

'We don't feel safe at all. I want to take my children to the park but it's too dangerous. Gangs show up here all hours of the day and night,' new resident and father-of-two Manish Kinger told the Herald Sun.

Fellow resident Linah Simukai said: 'You don't know what they're capable of doing and that's the scariest part about it.'

Wyndham Local Area Commander Inspector Mary Allison said police continued to patrol the park, make arrests, and issue infringements.

'Property damage, drug activity and anti-social behaviour at the park have been our main concern. The community deserves to feel safe in their local park,' she said.

'Members will continue to patrol the area and anyone found conducting criminal activity will be held to account for their actions.'

In other cases TVs were smashed and thrown outside alongside vandalised electical boxes

Police made frequent arrests at the park but appear to have little effect in making African gang members leave the area and stop destroying the centre

More MTS graffiti sprayed on the side of a garden canopy under which families once enjoyed days out

This picnic table intended to be used by local families was completely destroyed for no apparent reason

However, police on Friday said groups like MTS and Apex should not be referred to as 'gangs' because it 'only feeds their ego'.

'There is no evidence or intelligence to suggest we've got a gang,' deputy police commissioner Andrew Crisp said, despite Apex, MTS, and other gang names regularly being sprayed on vandalised properties.

Victorian Police finally admitted Melbourne had a problem with African gang crime, after previously denying one existed and insisting Australian citizens were more likely to commit crimes.

'The leaders in the African community readily and openly say they do have issues with a small cohort of African youth who are committing high-end crimes,' acting chief commissioner Shane Patton told reporters.

'We acknowledge that, we don't shy away from that at all. We will target anyone who's involved in any criminal activity and if that's African youths, so be it.'

The rampaging youths appear to be from numerous gangs hailing from different origins who wrote over each others' tags

Walls showed the apparently fragmented nature of the vandals as they took turf wars to their graffiti habits

A likely stolen bike was seen with most of its components ripped out and discarded by a footpath outside the centre

Some of the few remaining glass walls that had not been smashed by rampaging youth gangs

Police Minister Lisa Neville also confirmed African-born young men were over-represented in crime statistics and caused 'great harm and fear in the community'.

'I am not trying to cover this up. It has been a significant concern to us and to Victoria Police,' she said.

'We've had additional investment in the gang squad (and) in intelligence measures in order to try and disrupt their behaviour.'

Sudanese and South Sudanese-born people were 6.135 times more likely to have been arrested in 2016 than those born in Australia and 4.8 times more likely than New Zealanders, according to Crime Statistics Agency figures.

Sudanese were the second most likely group among 10 to 18-year-olds to be charged with aggravated burglaries, car thefts, and sex crimes, behind only Australians, according to data obtained by Coalition MP Jason Wood.

Residents near the community centre say they are fearful as African teens go on nightly rampages through the area, damaging nearby homes

Wyndham Local Area Commander Inspector Mary Allison said police continued to patrol the park, make arrests, and issue infringements

However, police on Friday said groups like MTS and Apex should not be referred to as 'gangs' because it 'only feeds their ego'

The centre is just metres from numerous homes in the new housing estate, with residents seeing their new lives turned into a nightmare

Commissioner Patton's comments were in contrast to those by Superintendent Therese Fitzgerald, who earlier insisted Melbourne didn't have an African gang problem.

'We have problems with youth crime across the state and it's not a particular group of youths we are looking into. It's all youths. It's youth crime,' she said.

Ms Neville also appeared to change her tune, as she earlier said Australian citizens were far more likely to commit crimes than African immigrants.

'We've got to be clear, this is not just an African youth problem. Overwhelmingly Australian citizens are the offenders, some of those are African-born,' she told Tony Jones on 3AW radio.

She said statistics did not support the perception African youths were responsible for the majority of crimes, but admitted they were over-represented and causing fear.

Victorian Police finally admitted Melbourne had a problem with African gang crime

The admission came after previously denying one existed and insisting Australian citizens were more likely to commit crimes

Police Minister Lisa Neville also confirmed African-born young men were over-represented in crime statistics and caused 'great harm and fear in the community'

Sudanese and South Sudanese-born people were 6.135 times more likely to have been arrested in 2016 than those born in Australia and 4.8 times more likely than New Zealanders, according to Crime Statistics Agency figures

Sudanese were the second most likely group among 10 to 18-year-olds to be charged with aggravated burglaries, car thefts, and sex crimes, behind only Australians, according to data obtained by Coalition MP Jason Wood

The Police Minister said the gang squad had been effective at disrupting criminal groups, many of which contained African and non-African youths working together.

Victorian Liberal Party leader Matthew Guy responded to Ms Neville's comments on Twitter soon afterwards.

'This Minister has had three years to stop ice dealers and has done nothing. Victorians deserve better than a 'more of the same' approach to law and order,' he wrote.

Discussion of an African gang problem followed an Airbnb property in Werribee being trashed by MTS members last week in an out-of-control party.

Police were forced to retreat from the house when more than 100 youths of primarily South Sudanese appearance pelted them with rocks.

Photos taken from inside the house show walls kicked and punched in, mattresses thrown on top of furniture and pepper spray splattered across bedroom curtains.

Menace to Society gang tags were sprayed at the centre, the same gang linked to when a policeman was kicked in the face as he crouched down trying to arrest a 16-year-old boy for shoplifting

Police have released images of a person (pictured, left, right) they believe can assist them with their inquiries

About 40 youths then terrorised the neighbourhood by roaming the streets smashing car windscreens and throwing rocks.

Then on Boxing Day a policeman was kicked in the face by gang members as he crouched down trying to arrest a 16-year-old boy for shoplifting.

The senior constable sustained non-life threatening injuries and was taken to hospital as the youth who assaulted him remained at large.

An internal police memo warned officers that African gangs could try to lure them into laneway ambushes by running away from crimes to make them pursue.

MTS is linked to the infamous Apex gang and last week trashed an Airbnb property in Werribee with an out-of-control party