A single mother was left petrified and shaken as a gang trashed her garden and threw a bottle at her front door.

Mother-of-three Maria Hurst, who lives in Barton Village Road, Barton, Oxford, confronted the gang of about 20 teenagers after they descended on her front garden shortly after midnight.

But she was treated to a barrage of verbal abuse - and one threatened to bite her if she didn't go back inside.

As she shut the door a glass bottle was thrown at it.

Mrs Hurst, 37, called 999 twice and stayed up until 3.30am for an officer to come round to her house - but none did.

Thames Valley Police sent officers to the road - but because they saw no trouble, they took no action.

Mrs Hurst said: "At about 12.30am, the teenagers just started congregating in my garden.

"They were drunk and I heard a bang on my door. When I opened it I was confronted with about 15 or 20 youths. I got a lot of verbal abuse and one of them said 'go in you silly cow or I will bite you'.

Mrs Hurst's two youngest children, aged 11 and 13, were woken by the noise and she was also babysitting for two other children at the time.

She added: "I was petrified and I called the police twice, at 12.30am and again at about 1.25am.

"They said they would send someone round. I stayed up until 3.30am but no police officer came round to my house."

She said the gang also went around the back of the property and damaged her shed.

On Saturday morning she found a penknife in the garden where the youths had been congregated.

She phoned the police again and was told an officer would call during the week to collect any evidence she could bag up.

Mrs Hurst has lived in Barton Village Road for 11 years and said problems with teenage gangs were increasing. She said it was the second time her home had been damaged.

After a previous incident she had to replace a gate and fencing panels.

Police spokesman Anna Huggins said officers had responded to Mrs Hurst's 999 call.

She said: "We sent officers to the road.

"They did see some kids hanging around but there was no trouble to deal with."

She added a criminal damage investigation had been launched and Mrs Hurst would be contacted by officers.