A SINGLE mother-of-three has been forced to use the money she was saving for a holiday to try and protect her children and home from a pair of teenage yobs.

Amanda Daffurn, 36, has spent £200 she can little afford on installing CCTV, lighting sensors and other security measures at her home in Dursley Road, Trowbridge, after being constantly targeted by the youths.

She said: "They have nothing better to do than walk around and act like a bunch of gangsters and terrorise us.

"I have had to spend all this money just to keep them at bay. I'm a single mum and I just can't afford it."

The pair have thrown eggs at the family's home, stolen from them, slashed the tyres on Mrs Daffurn's car, and hurled abuse at her two young children.

The problem has got so bad Mrs Daffurn's younger two children, Josh, 10, and nine-year-old Faye are too frightened to go out of the house.

"They are too scared to go out and play with their friends. These two boys have called my children every name under the sun," she said. "They are just bullies who have nothing better to do than pick on little kids."

The problems started several weeks ago and Mrs Daffurn, who works part time at Players in Westbury and also has a 15-year-old son, Daniel, has no idea why her family is being targeted.

In the last incident a bicycle was stolen from the back garden of the house, just hours after the camera was installed.

"They saw the camera going up and they dodged it to get the bike out. I know it's them and the police know it's them."

Mrs Daffurn has reported each incident to the police but, without evidence, officers have little power to intervene.

Insp Glynn Hookings, of Trowbridge police, said: "We are aware of this issue and, as with any crime, we will carry out as full an investigation as possible and, where evidence exists, we will look to prosecute offenders and also support the victims of crime."

Mrs Daffurn hopes the new security measures will not only act as a deterrent, but capture images of the offenders to help with police inquiries. She has also reported the incidents to west Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison.