A leukaemia sufferer who filmed a young vandal smashing her car spent more than a week waiting for police officers to collect the evidence.

Lilibet Czyzewska's car has been broken into or vandalised six times since November but she caught this culprit red-handed a week ago.

Officers finally collected the footage from her home security camera - after they were contacted by the Telegraph & Argus.

Miss Czyzewska, 50, lives with her mother Zofia in Delph Hill, Wyke, and survives on £75 benefits a week.

Since she was diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukaemia three and a half years ago, the former casino manager has not been able to work.

"It is so frustrating," she said, "I find it amazing that we have got a culprit here who may or may not have committed other crimes and the police are just not interested.

"We have gone to all this expense with a camera and nobody has even bothered to pick up the video. This car is my lifeline and I just cannot afford to keep paying for repairs."

She claims that she rang the police early on Friday July 19, once she discovered the damage. The following Thursday, she telephoned Odsal police station and claims she was told that the officer in charge of the job would pick up the video when he could.

"He then said that officers were entitled to their days off and would not let me get a word in. I was so upset with the way he treated me."

The vandal is skinny, wearing a white baseball cap, tracksuit bottoms with a stripe up the side and an anorak.

The video clearly shows him smashing a back window, reaching in and opening the door and poking around inside the car and boot. Miss Czyzewska does not think he stole anything.

Since November, her Volkswagen Jetta windows have been smashed several times, her tyres slashed, fuel lines cut and petrol siphoned out. The damage has cost her several hundred pounds, money she cannot afford to lose. She has now joined the AA and put up a security gate.

Miss Czyzewska had a stem cell transplant last March and is now in remission from the disease, but she is not well enough to work.

A police spokesman said: "Unfortunately we were unable to visit Miss Czyzewska as soon as we would have liked because of the large volume of incidents we have had to deal with.

"Any criminal activity caught on video provides excellent evidence for the police and we praise Miss Czyzewska's efforts."

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to ring (01274) 376459.