A South Ockendon woman says she is living in fear after her car was attacked as part of a series of attacks that have taken place since she moved to the area last month.

Yvonne Tamabang 26, a student, has only lived in Cawdor Avenue, South Ockendon, for seven weeks, but in that time says her life has turned into a nightmare because of attacks that she believes are racially motivated.

Cameroon-born Yvonne, who came to Britain in 2000, parked her car at 6pm on Thursday outside her house, but when she came out at 9pm, she found that all the windows had been smashed with large rocks. Banana skins were left around the car.

Ms Tamabang immediately rang the police. She said: "They said they would send somebody when they were available. But, nobody has come to help me."

Insp Nick Morris from South Ockendon Police said: "This incident was not reported as a racially motivated incident but we will be giving it our full attention."

The incident was the culmination of a series of incidents since Yvonne moved from Becton, East London.

She said: "We were really excited when we moved in. But this has become a nightmare.

"I am a prisoner in my own home. Every time I go out of my home, the local teenagers call me black fat bitch and black nigger. They are so cruel."

Yvonne says she has also suffered further indignation of people deliberately crossing the street as she walked along.

"I couldn't believe it. Women with pushchairs see me and walk across the street. I've turned round to see them cross over again"

Yvonne's neighbour, Nina Ayiwe (24) has also had similar experiences.

She said: "They sit on my wall and have slowly demolished it, brick by brick."

But Ms Ayiwe is defiant. She said: "We moved her because the economy is thriving. We are here for good. They will just have to accept it."

Organisations across the borough have roundly condemned the attacks.

Ruth Jewett from the Thurrock Racial Unity Support Task Group (TRUST) said: "We completely abhor such an attack on an ethnic minority. We are here to support anyone who has been the victim of a racially motivated attack. I will be seeing Yvonne and her family to offer help."

A spokesperson for the Thurrock African Group said: "We completely condemn racially motivated crime in Thurrock.

"Yvonne and Nina need full protection from the law and support from appropriate agencies. There is no scope for racial intolerance in Thurrock."

Rector of South Ockendon Parish Church, Rev Brian Duckworth said: ""I came to the area four years ago and found the people here very welcoming.

"However, there will be a small minority of people who through fear or ignorance will not welcome the influx of ethnic minorities into the area.

"I find it personally disturbing that in the week when we commemorated 200 years of freedom from slavery that discrimination still exists."