Women from a housing scheme along Spanish Town Road, Kingston 11, are being forced to allow gunmen to sleep at their homes, THE STAR has learnt.

Thugs allegedly from the 'Rat Bat' gang are said to have residents of the housing scheme cowering in fear while at least nine other residents have fled their homes in the last two weeks.

The Rat Bat gang was once led by reputed gangster Dave 'Machine Man' Sterling, who died during a reported shoot-out with police last year. 'Machine Man' was said to be responsible for an upsurge in crime in the area, the Waltham Park are of St Andrew and even as far as Spanish Town in St Catherine.

However, his death has seemingly not led to the dismantling of the gang which is now the centre of the residents' fears.

So intimidating are these men that they are allowed access to the homes of several women from the housing scheme where they sleep.

"Dem have some house weh dem go sleep when dem ready and di woman dem cyaa complain," one female resident revealed when THE STAR visited.

"When dem ready dem jus go knock up di woman dem and tell dem fi let dem in ... . Di woman dem know dem affi let dem in or dem affi leave," another female resident added.

Residents said while some of the women are alleged to be having sexual relations with some of the men, there are those who have no choice but to allow the thugs into their homes.

Efforts to speak with some of these women proved futile as none were willing to speak.

Furthermore, the residents say sections of the scheme has become a hang-out spot for the gun-toting thugs.

Crime Chief for West Kingston, Deputy Superintendent Leslie Ashman, said police were aware of the gang's activity but say since the death of Machine Man and another man who immediately tried to take the reigns of the criminal entity, their operations have been hampered.

"We know about the Rat Bat gang and what they do but they don't operate like they once did especially since the death of 'Machine Man'. We need the residents to help us so we can dismantle this gang," he said.