A WOMAN who is being terrorised by vandals says she is too frightened to sleep at night.

Youths have been targeting Sandra Wilson's home in Kitchener Street, York, on a regular basis since September.

Her windows have been smashed on eight occasions and the attacks have left her living in fear.

She has written to York MP Hugh Bayley about the problem and had numerous meetings with the police, but the vandalism has continued.

In the latest incident her kitchen window was smashed last Saturday night in an attempted burglary.

Miss Wilson, 51, said: "They smash my windows in the early hours of the morning. I am absolutely terrified, especially when I am in the house on my own. For the last few weeks I've been sleeping with the light on."

The vandalism is also costing her a lot of money.

She said: "I have claimed two replacement windows on the insurance but I can't keep claiming or they'll refuse to insure me."

She said that so far she has spent around £700 on replacing the windows.

Her mother's house in the same street has also been burgled twice since the attacks began, and Miss Wilson is worried that the incidents are connected.

She said she believes the youths responsible may have a grudge against her 15-year-old son, Martin, who goes to boarding school.

The last time the vandals struck, Martin chased the gang of youths, but they escaped down Fossway.

Miss Wilson added: "I suffer from nerves as it is, and this is making my life a misery."

Sgt Colin Ventress, of North Yorkshire Police, said there had been eight incidents, in which windows had been smashed at Miss Wilson's home in Kitchener Street, since October.

He said that because of the high number of incidents, community officers had visited Miss Wilson to give her advice about security.

Updated: 10:18 Thursday, March 20, 2003