A MOTHER'S trip to the park with her eight-year-old son ended with her being accused of dangerous driving.

Diane Allcock claims a group of youths abused her in Astley Street Park, Tyldesley, and when she followed them home another gang of teenagers confronted her.

But witnesses said the 43-year-old mother swore at them and then drove her car at the group, catching one boy a glancing blow and injuring his knee.

Yesterday Allcock, of Stour Road, Tyldesley, denied dangerous driving and assault at Bolton Crown Court.

Prosecutor Graham Knowles said that on Sunday, June 25 last year Allcock took her son to the park to play on the swings.

But when she got there she found all the swings had been wrapped round the crossbar. Allcock asked the tallest of a group of teenagers to unravel the swings but claimed he verbally abused her.

The group wandered off and Allcock stayed in the park for a while and then, when she spotted the youths again, decided to follow them home.

She followed the group to Coombe Close where another group of teenagers were playing football in the street.

They allege that after a conversation Allcock drove her car deliberately at them forcing them to jump over a garden fence.

Another boy in the middle of the street who could not get out of the way was hit by the car bonnet and injured his knee.

But Allcock claimed that she asked the boys the name of the other boy who had verbally abused her and as she left Coombs Close a boy jumped out in front of her, leapt on the bonnet and grinned at her.

Proceeding