A mother would draw the curtains and switch off all the lights in her house to try and shield herself against a torrent of abuse, an inquest heard.

Fiona Pilkington and her children felt like prisoners in their own home after being targeted by a gang of youths on their street for more than 10 years.

The single mother and 18-year-old disabled daughter Frankie Hardwick lived in Bardon Road in Barwell with her son Anthony, now 19.

Ms Pilkington, 38, and Frankie died on October 24, 2007, in a blazing car parked in a lay-by in Earl Shilton.

Ms Pilkington had torched the vehicle herself.

In a diary found at her home after their deaths, Ms Pilkington detailed how she would sit in a darkened room hoping the abuse would stop.

She was given the incident diary by Tim Butterworth, an anti-social behaviour officer for Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, in February 2007 when he came to visit and discuss her concerns.

The diary was read out to a jury at an inquest held at Loughborough Town Hall yesterday.

Over four entries, spanning May to June that year, Ms Pilkington wrote how youths shouted abuse outside her windows, set fire to fences and damaged her front hedges.

On May 12 she said four youths shouted insults outside the house from 11.30pm to 2.30am.

She wrote: "I drew my rear curtains, turned my lights out and sat in the dark until 2.30am stressed-out."

The next day she wrote: "I'm fed up, cheesed-off.

"Why can't they just walk past without doing anything or walk on the other side of the road?"

In her final entry, on June 2, she said: "I'm really cheesed-off about not being able to walk down the street; it's impossible."

Yesterday the inquest also heard a touching tribute from Frankie's former head teacher at Dorothy Goodman Special School, in Hinckley.

Tony Smith, paid tribute to a pupil who "lifted the spirits" of his staff and those around her. He said: "She was known and loved by everybody at Dorothy Goodman School and by her family.

"She was about people. She loved people, she loved adults. She was about doing practical things, things like washing up, working in the kitchen and gardening.

"The comment I had from people at the school was that she had a wonderful sense of humour.

"She could always come out with a phrase which could light up the mood for us.

"A couple of people said she lifted their spirits."

Mr Smith also explained that Frankie had severe learning disabilities and had a mental age of about four.

At the time of her death she could not write her own name but could count to ten.

She would have been unable to live independently and was due to leave the school in 2008 when she reached the age of 19.

The inquest continues today.