A young mother told today how she was hounded out of her York home after her father was convicted of abusing a girl.

Tanya Roberts, 17, of Crombie Avenue, Clifton, said she had to flee her home on Sunday when windows were smashed, the front door was cleaved in and people hurled a torrent of abuse at her.

The incidents happened after her father Gary was jailed for four years on Friday at York Crown Court for four indecent assaults on a girl.

Tanya said: "I felt like a victim, and people were shouting things like 'she's as bad as he is.'

"I'm now classed as homeless and, although I'm in a bed and breakfast at the moment, I only have one set of clothes and the same for the baby and have to bath him in a tiny sink."

She said she had been told that, because she has a child, she will be re-housed by the council.

Her comments came after one Crombie Avenue resident wrote to the Evening Press to complain about the targeting of Tanya's home by "petty-minded people."

The woman, who did not wish to be identified, said the scenes had been "frightening".

She said: "People in the street decided that as the abuser was in prison, they would take out their anger on his daughter."

She claimed that after the house had been boarded up, there had been threats of "torching" the house, which would have affected a next door neighbour, and there had been looting of the property.

"I can understand their anger but surely it should be towards the perpetrator and not his daughter.

"Surely there should have been some sympathy for the daughter? Is it her fault that a grown man did what he did?

"These questions will probably remain unanswered because no one in the vigilante party has any brains to ask the questions as usual - actions first, questions later (if any)."

Police confirmed that they were called to several incidents on Sunday afternoon, but that no arrests were made.

A spokesman for City of York Council said it was aware of Tanya's circumstances.

"Just as we have tried to help this customer all along, we will actively continue to help her."

Updated: 08:39 Thursday, August 09, 2001