A tragic family tormented for years by a gang of youths felt "under siege" and were afraid to step out of their house, an inquest heard.

Fiona Pilkington drove into a lay-by on the A47, in Earl Shilton, with her disabled teenage daughter Francecca Hardwick, 18, who was known as Frankie, and is thought to have killed both of them by turning her car into a fireball.

An inquest into their deaths began at Loughborough Town Hall yesterday, where a jury heard how Ms Pilkington, 38, had endured "11 years of misery" and felt the authorities were not listening to her.

She also wrote letters to her MP David Tredinnick, asking him to help her, in 2004 and 2007.

The day she died, on October 24, 2007, Ms Pilkington left five letters detailing her intentions to family members.

In one, which was read out at the inquest, she wrote: "11 years of misery, no wonder my hair is coming out.

"What do you do? Take another 11 years of criminal damage and years of abuse?

"What do I have to do to get my street back to a normal one so people can go out at night?"

The letters were handed to police after the pair's deaths.

Giving evidence, Pamela Cassell, Ms Pilkington's mother, said her daughter was dreading the forthcoming Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night celebrations, as in previous years the family had flour bombs and eggs thrown at their house.

Mrs Cassell, 72, of Balmoral Road, Earl Shilton, said that, in 2005, her daughter had made an attempt to kill herself and her two children, Frankie and Anthony.

She said: "Fiona took Anthony and Frankie and the pets with

some petrol and candles and went for a drive round, before she changed

her mind. She said it was because nobody was doing anything to help her."

Frankie had learning difficulties and her brother Anthony, now 19, has severe dyslexia.

Anthony was staying with his grandparents the night his sister and mother died.

Talking about an incident in February 2007, when the family were being taunted outside their house, coroner Olivia Davison described them as being "under siege".

Former assistant chief constable Chris Tew detailed the number of times Ms Pilkington and her mother had called the police complaining of anti-social behaviour on their street.

Between 2000 and 2006, either Ms Pilkington or Mrs Cassell called the police on 12 occasions.

In 2007, 10 calls were recorded and, in 2004, eight reports were received, seven of which were marked as "incident closed" shortly afterwards.

Mr Tew said this was down to a lack of resources, or the fact Ms Pilkington did not want to press for a prosecution.

Most complaints related to a group of around 10 to 16 youths who lived near the family home in Bardon Road, Barwell.

Medical records show Ms Pilkington visited her doctor for stress and depression-related complaints.

The inquest is expected to end today.