Cheltenham locals reveal the tough reality of living in town during the races, ... trends now

Foul-mouthed, drunken thugs are wrecking havoc across Cheltenham as they turn up for the Gold Cup races this week, residents have revealed.

Dozens of revellers have been caught 'weeing in hedges' and against the local scout hut as they make the trek out of the track, locals have told MailOnline.

Homeowners, describing the races as being 'like Peaky Blinders on this week', say that racegoers have launched profanity-strewn verbal assaults on fellow attendees despite young children being within earshot.

Several women have complained of feeling 'intimidated' by some of the male racegoers who storm the town after a long day at the track. 

While the locals appreciate the 'massive financial boost' that the races bring to Cheltenham, many say they can't wait for the racegoers to 'all just go home'. 

They claim the 'most sensible people' have booked a week-long holiday just to 'avoid the chaos'.

Like any good scout, cub or beaver, the children of the 10th Cheltenham All Saints group gathered around their cake stand a short stroll from the Cheltenham race track have been taught to be prepared.

But few could have been ready for the drunken displays that have spilled out of the venue during Gold Cup week.

'W*****,' yelled one reveller to another as he made his way from the track to a local hostelry in search of more alcohol.

If he was aware that he was stood next to the youngsters on the cake stand raising much-needed funds for their scout group, he didn't show it.

Instead the suited thug - his outfit topped off with, inevitably, a Peaky Blinders-style cap - continued his profanity-strewn attack on his fellow racegoer, who had had the temerity to leave him behind in the search for more beer.

'Slow the f*** down, will you,' he hollered, passing the group of uniformed scouts, cubs and beavers, many of them as young as six.

Their leader, Keith Curnock, 72, could only shrug his shoulders and hope his acolytes hadn't heard the 'banter' as the gang marched by.

'Obviously I don't want the children having to hear that kind of language,' he said. 'I suppose it's just part and parcel of Cheltenham Gold Cup week.

'Cheltenham has been influx of people here for the races and to be fair. Most of them are very well-behaved.

'A good many of them have actually stopped at the stand and bought plenty of cakes, so we've made some money. It's just a shame about the bad language and the drunken state some of them get in.

'But I have to say, the majority of those at the races are very well-behaved. Nonetheless, I will be reinforcing the message to my group that bad language is not acceptable.'

Neither is the racegoers' habit, in some cases, of urinating in local residents' gardens. 

One long-suffering homeowner, who asked not to be named, said it 'doesn't seem to matter' that temporary loos are placed along the main thoroughfares between the track and the town.

'Some men will always want to go wild with their urinating,' he said. 'I've seen dozens of guys weeing in hedges and against the scout hut here. It's disgusting.'

Mr Curnock, a retired aluminium factory worker, said so many people have used the walls of his scout hut as a public urinal that he and his colleagues decided to remove the surrounding hedge so they would no longer have cover. 

'So far it seems to be working,' he said. 'But once it gets dark and they get even more drunk, they probably won't care where they go. It really is quite disgusting.'

Women alleged they have been 'followed by groups of men' who make 'inappropriate' remarks.