A fitness instructor's business is being destroyed by foul-mouthed, stone-throwing youths who bare their backsides at her clients.

Dawn Connaway has suffered at the hands of the yobs for the last six weeks - and is furious police seem powerless to deal with the problem.

The youngsters, aged between eight and 14, hurl foul language, stones and apples at the fitness instructor and her clients as she takes classes at Wickford's Nevendon Road Play Centre.

Their behaviour has seen the number of people attending plummet from 20 to just five.

Dawn, 26, of Southend Road, Wickford, believes this is because people feel too intimidated to attend.

She warned that if police continue to fail to stamp on the problem, the classes will have to close.

Dawn said: "These kids have used every swear word in the book - they have thrown things into the building and at my clients and police are just letting them get away with it."

However, police insisted they are dealing the problem through regular patrols and warned offenders will face tough measures if caught.

PC Geoff Whiter of Wickford police said: "The problem has been looked at in a meeting on high visibility policing, and officers are patrolling the area.

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