A MOTHER-OF-TWO facing eviction from her council house says her two-year-old son is being terrorised by teenagers.

Lauretta Whitley, 22, of Firthmoor, Darlington, faces losing her home within weeks after allegations that she was verbally abusive and threatening towards neighbours.

But Mrs Whitley said she reacted because 15 and 16-year-old boys were bullying her son.

Darlington Borough Council has given her four weeks to prove she is a quiet neighbour.

Mrs Whitley is staying with her estranged husband in Red Hall because she says she is too frightened to return home.

She said: "The council is blaming all the problems in our street on me. I have nowhere to go if they evict me.

"All I was doing was sticking up for my son. Of course I am going to shout at people if they are hitting him and throwing car tyres at him."

Her husband, Paul, 24, said people living near his wife had threatened him when he visited his children.

He said: "I was told that if I went to the police again with any problems Lauretta was having then I would be sorry."

He also said the council had told neighbours confidential details about the couple.

A council spokesman confirmed that the authority believed Mrs Whitley had broken her tenancy agreement and was facing eviction if her behaviour did not improve in the next four weeks.

He said: "Mrs Whitley has told us of these problems and we have got a full package of support ourselves to try to help her resolve the situation."