HUNDREDS of Portlanders have joined an internet campaign against violence on the island.

More than 370 islanders have joined the group on the social networking website Facebook to ‘stand united’ against violence by reporting anti-social behaviour to the police.

Portland man Eddie Waring – once attacked himself and threatened with a knife – started the group to call on residents to trust the police to deal with gangs instead of considering vigilantism.

Fiona Rodriguez, 43, of the Grove, once called the police about her own son and is appealing for others to help the police.

She said: “Obviously the police have got to do more than what they are doing.

“But it will help if people keep calling the police because then they will realise there is more going on than they know about.

“They’ve said Portland is a safe place but it’s not a good example for when the Olympics are here.”

Debby Jolliffe, 40, also joined the group as she wants a safer island for her sons Darryl and Jack.

She said: “My son was an hour late home last night and I was frightened.

“I was scared stiff although I’m not personally scared of any of the gangs.”

Mrs Jolliffe’s son David Hallett was robbed by teenagers when he was delivering pizza on Portland.

David died in a tragic road accident in December 2008.

Mrs Jolliffe said young people were intimidated by other youths and too scared to help the police.

But she hopes residents do not take the law into their own hands.

She said: “Nobody wants to see vigilante groups.

“But I think it’s just frustration more than anything if it’s not dealt with.”

Mr Waring said he was assaulted when a group of nine young men confronted him in Easton – one of them holding a knife.

Nobody was prosecuted over the incident but he started the internet group to encourage others to help the police.

He said: “I want to try and get the community to come together and understand that they should not be afraid to report any sort of incident to the police.

“We will work together with the police to solve the problems that are happening at the moment.

“It’s not there for vigilante groups or anything like that.”

“It’s not about creating violence. “It’s about preventing violence.”

Inspector Neil Wood, deputy section commander for Weymouth and Portland, is hoping the internet group will encourage more people to call the police.

He said: “We’ve got this massive public opinion and there’s people making comments and reporting to know information.

“What we need them to do is go that extra step and speak to us as well.

“If necessary that can be done in confidence.”