AN 84-YEAR-OLD widow claims a gang of youths has been terrorising her for the last two years leaving her too frightened to leave her Hunger Hill home.

Kathleen Riley says up to five boys aged as young as nine have been making her life a misery, banging on her doors and windows, damaging her property and pushing dog faeces through her letterbox.

Tearful Mrs Riley, of Tayward Avenue, has contacted the police on numerous occasions but they have been unable to catch the youngsters.

She said: "I can't live with it any longer. I just cannot cope with what's going on. Every day these kids are running into my garden and patio, banging on my windows. It's really intimidating and scary."

She said the age of the youths range from nine to 15.

Terry Riley, Mrs Riley's son, who lives in Westhoughton, said: "It's disgraceful what they are doing to my mother."

A spokesman for the police said: "We investigate any reports we get from people suffering from anti-social behaviour. If their are reports of this particular lady being terrorised then we will look into it."