A 61-year-old woman has told of her "living hell" after being forced to live in darkness because of a campaign of terror by gangs of youths.

Every window in her Victorian terraced home in Bradford is boarded up after being repeatedly smashed.

But, despite an offer to rehouse her by Bradford Social Services, the woman, who lives alone and is too frightened to be named, refuses to leave her home of 40 years which was once her pride and joy.

Today, Councillor Mohammed Ajeeb, a former Lord Mayor of Bradford, said an urgent meeting was being sought between police and social services chiefs, to try to end the woman's nightmare existence.

"We are fully aware of her plight and I greatly sympathise with her difficulties, said Councillor Ajeeb (Lab, Heaton), who was informed by police of the woman's circumstances in his role as a member of the Bradford Alliance Against Racial Harassment.

He said: "We haven't decided whether it is racial harassment or general vandalism because there are other properties in that area which have also been vandalised but I must stress racial harassment is a criminal offence."

Speaking about her ordeal, the woman said: "When I die I won't go to hell, because I'm already living in hell now.

"It's absolutely horrendous that somebody's got to live like this - I feel like I've been in jail for so long.

"People keep telling me to move, but I say why should I? I live here, this is my home. It's breaking my heart."

The trouble began around nine years ago when the woman's house was burgled. Since then she has been burgled another six times and has had bricks and stones thrown through every window of her house.

On several occasions, she has had fireworks thrown through her letter box. Another time, she was sat in her front room when a stone was thrown through it, smashing the front bay window.

"All the stones are still lying where they threw them - I'm a very poorly person and have a bad heart and can't lift them out. I've just had enough," said the woman.

After repeatedly having her windows re-glazed, she was persuaded by social services to have the whole house boarded up.

"Everything's got worse and worse," she said.

"All I can think now is dear God, you live to this age and this is what happens. There's going to be hardly anything left of my beautiful house.

"I'd never go out on my own at night now. I'd rather stay in and keep safe.

"Why can't they leave me alone? I just want them stop so I can live my life in peace."

Sergeant Roy Wensley, of Toller Lane Police, said: "We are struggling to come up with a solution.

"The house is in a state of disrepair, but the lady does not want to move.

"It's not just a case of catching the children at it. She needs to help herself, and if she isn't willing to do that then we can't take things much further."

A Social Services spokesman said that they sympathised with the woman and were arranging a meeting with the police to see what could be done.

The spokesman said: "We advised her that the broken windows of her house should be boarded up if she did not want to replace the glass because the weather, pigeons and other animals could get in and we were concerned about her health and safety. She agreed to this and the Council covered the cost of the work.

"We have also offered her a flat and although she took the keys, she never used it. We have also advised her that the condition of her home is deteriorating and suggested that in her own interest she may want to sell it before it gets any worse, but she does not want to move and we can understand this.

"We will continue to offer what help we can and hope that a way forward can be found when we meet the police."

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