A SINGLE mother subjected to a terrifying campaign of harassment and violence says she is fearing for her life after police allegedly botched an attempt to catch the thug responsible.

Sue Nicholls, 36, of Oakwood Road in Waltham Abbey, has had bricks thrown through her kitchen window, her car tyres slashed and windscreen smashed on repeated occasions since September 2009, but says widespread failures and a lack of support from officers have made her a prisoner in her own home.

Ms Nicholls says police promised to help by installing a covert CCTV camera trained on her parking spot last October, but following an attack on her car in November she was told officers had not got around to installing it.

Then on New Year's Eve her car was attacked again, but this time she was told the camera had been removed.

She said: “I feel completely and utterly let down. The police have been totally incompetent and shown a complete lack of understanding.

"I've got more sympathy from my dog.

“I have three children but I've been left to cope with this intimidation and harassment all alone. I'm desperate and all I want is some help.

“My children are scared and I'm worried that this is going to escalate and I'm going to get physically attacked.

“I think the police were bluffing about the camera – it wouldn't surprise me if they never put it up in the first place. Thin blue line? It's been more like the thick blue farce.”

Ms Nicholls says she gave the police names and descriptions of two suspects, but she was later told officers had only approached the home of one of them.

He was out at the time, and officers have not returned since, she claims.

She also alleges that police failed to take fingerprints from a threatening note left on her windscreen after one attack, and that officers took two hours to turn up at her house following a 999 call following another incident.

Friend and mum-of-two Faye Wingrove, 34, also had her car daubed with paint stripper on one occasion when she came to visit Ms Nicholls.

She said: “The police have done nothing, it's disgusting.

"We're both really frightened but they don't seem to care.”

Essex Police released this statement:

"Police are investigating a number of incidents reported by a woman from Waltham Abbey who believes she is being targeted.

"The crimes she has reported have been treated with the utmost importance because she is clearly a repeat victim.

"A number of investigative methods have been used to catch the person or people responsible for these crimes, however to date no arrests have been made. We have been working with the victim to ensure she feels as safe as possible.

"Essex Police will continue to work with her to provide support and guidance as well as working tirelessly to catch whoever is causing the damage she is experiencing."