The attack happened in Windsor Crescent and was the latest in a series of incidents involving damage to homes and shops and wheelie bins being set on fire in the area during the past fortnight by a gang of between 30 and 40 youngsters, aged 14 to 17.

Sharinder Singh's home came under attack with youths throwing bricks at the property, smashing a front window.

"It was about 7.30pm and I heard a massive bang so I just ran straight outside even though I knew my window had been smashed.

"There were about 30 kids there swearing at me and taunting me, and shouting racist insults," said Miss Singh, who along with her three children have suffered racist abuse in the past.

"I had just told my kids to go into the front room to watch their DVD a few seconds earlier. I can't imagine what would have happened if they had have been in there when the glass smashed."

Miss Singh, 43, now believes that more should be done to stop the trouble after she fearlessly chased members of the gang to the Tesco store car park in Hilderthorpe Road, where they split up.

"I don't think the police are doing enough to stop these kids doing what they like.

"Instead of taking statements they should be out on the streets and finding them. They were still in the coach park on Hilderthorpe Road gloating long after they were here.

"I've brought up three kids and none of them behave like this. The parents are not giving their children enough discipline.

"Its getting worse. I've been here for three-and-a-half years and I've never seen the amount of youths hanging around and causing trouble as I have recently.

"Bridlington is not a big city and we should be able to deal with it."

Elsewhere damage has been caused to properties in nearby East Road and West Street, where a hairdresser's salon was attacked.

Leanne Trower, manager of the Way Ahead salon, said she had bricks thrown at the door of her salon last Wednesday, shattering the glass, while a window which had previously been cracked by bricks was also smashed.

She said: "We need CCTV or some kind of deterrent to stop the kids doing whatever they like.

"It seems that everybody has an idea who these kids are, they are always hanging around the streets on a night.

"When I lived on this street teenagers attempted to steal my car, and another salon on the road, which has now moved premises, was broken into. It was vandalised and stock was stolen."

Bridlington police say they are aware of the gang and are doing everything they can to tackle the problem and are even considering increased patrols and the use of a mobile CCTV truck to film troublemakers which would help to identify them.

Insp Richard Kirven, head of Bridlington police, said: "Nobody in Bridlington or indeed anywhere else should have to tolerate racial abuse and these matters are always dealt with very seriously.

"Anybody that is suspected of being involved with the vandalism or property damage will face the consequences of criminal action or anti-social behaviour orders."

PCSO Andrea Humphrey, who patrols the area, said: "We will be dealing with what happened at Windsor Crescent as a racist incident, but it seems the youths are targeting properties at random, as there was another incident at a property on East Road on the same evening.

"They obviously have no respect for authority, others' property or the people of the town."

PCSO Humphrey confirmed that the police are aware of who some of the gang are – and she is urging members of the public to help police stamp out trouble by identifying any distinguishing features of those they fear might be behaving anti-socially, such as hair colour or a tattoo.

Sgt Steve Dove, of Bridlington police, said: "Slowly but surely we are managing to get to grips with this problem, as a large gang of young people can be a scary proposition, especially for elderly residents.

"Letters have gone out to the parents of those who we believe are involved in the gang and we have had a positive response so far.

"We are not accusing these teenagers but trying to get their parents involved in taking responsibility for their children's actions, although it is important to stress that not all teenagers in the town are behaving anti-socially."

The gang are believed to use the car park at Tesco as a gathering point and a through route from one side of the town to another.

Last Friday evening, damage was done to a car in Havelock Crescent and a juvenile was released on police bail after questioning. Vandalism to another car last Saturday evening in Olinda Road led to three youths being arrested and released on police bail, pending further enquiries.

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