A pensioner has called for action against trouble-making youngsters after burning paper was pushed through her letterbox.

Joan Jones, 72, escaped injury because her son Michael, 42, who lives with her, put out the flames after smelling smoke.

The attack happened at Upper Bevendean Avenue, Bevendean, Brighton.

A metal box placed by Mrs Jones' letterbox prevented the paper from hitting the mat and causing a blaze.

It was installed by landlord Bernard Bird because youngsters were urinating through the slot and also dropping matches.

Mrs Jones has confronted the youngsters herself about the problems but says police need to take extra action.

She said: "I think they like to think they intimidate me but they don't. I do not think the police are doing their job properly. It is no good leaving it until somebody gets hurt."

Mr Bird, who runs Bird Heating and Plumbing from a shop below Mrs Jones' home, said: "The door which the paper was pushed through is her only exit.

"If it had caught light she would have been stuck in the flat and not been able to get out. I class that as arson."

Mr Bird said teenagers had been congregating outside the flat for five years, mainly at weekends and during the school holidays, when there had been up to 30.

Mrs Jones and Mr Bird want CCTV to be installed and criticised the police for not responding fast enough or not at all to their phone calls.

Police have taken away items from the scene of the fire for forensic examination and said they would respond to incidents such as arson but added that hanging around was not a crime.

Chief Inspector Lance Gray of Brighton police said: "Police are aware of the youth issues in Bevendean. There will be an increased police presence and where these youngsters are committing crime they will be prosecuted."