A YOUNG mother of two is at her wits end after suffering abuse and vandalism on a Yeadon housing estate.

Carol Thompson, 21, her husband, Kenneth, 24, and their two young children, Georgina, two, and Ben, six months, are desperate to be re-housed to their home town of Otley.

Mrs Thompson, who has not been out of the house alone for two months, says personal insults are shouted at her every time she leaves the house.

Things are also thrown at the windows, the house has been burgled and the car has been vandalised.

But the council says although it sympathises with the family, houses in Otley rarely come up and are usually given to those in more dire circumstances.

It has, however, said it would review the family's situation and investigate claims of harassment.

Mrs Thompson said: "Every time I go out people shout personal comments at me and it's in front of the children. It's got so bad that I've not been out on my own for two months.

"I just can't understand why they do it. It feels like we're being singled out, but I don't know why."

She added the car had been vandalised so much that they had been forced to park it away from the house.

"We've been burgled, my husband's car has been vandalised and things are thrown at the windows, it's been a nightmare since we moved here."

The Thompsons took up the offer of the house in Yeadon in September 1999 on the understanding they would be moved back to Otley when one became available.

But two years later they are still there.

Rachael Thompson, Carol's mother-in-law, and chairman of Otley Disability Advisory Group (ODAG), said her concern was that the problems the family faced could split them up.

"We managed to get them away for a couple of days to Filey recently, but when they got back, the house had been burgled.

"They just wouldn't have taken the house in Yeadon if they thought they'd never get back to Otley.

"Carol just never goes out of the house these days. I try to go over two or three times a week, but it's not always possible. She's got no life and I worry it will split them up as a family."

A spokesman for Leeds City Council said: "We fully understand the Thompsons' concerns. We will immediately review their situation and will send someone to visit them in person to ensure they are kept properly informed.

"The problem is that very few places come up in Otley and those that do are usually taken by people in even more pressing need than the Thompsons.

"We are obviously concerned about their reports of harassment. We are collating information on their case with a view to referring it to our Anti-Social Behaviour Team to investigate."