THE landlady of the Duke of York pub said she was turning her back on the area after watching her business go up in flames.

Marie Coulston said she had moved her sons Daroll and Stephen out of the flat the family lived in above the pub on Friday night when the windows were smashed by youths throwing bricks.

She and her partner followed to stay with friends nearby after they were told the pub was going to be torched.

Today she said she had been left with nothing after all her possessions were destroyed in the fire.

She had even had to borrow clothes for herself and her children.

She stood in the street last night and watched as Asian youths threw petrol bombs into the empty pub.

Some of the youths were as young as nine, she claimed.

As with members of the Asian community, Ms Coulston and her family are angry with the police for what they saw as a lack of action.

"There should have been police all round that pub last night considering what's been happening over the weekend", she said.

Now, rather than putting her faith in the police to calm down tensions, she said she moving her children out of the area for good.

"I'm getting them out at teatime today," she said.

"I've not got a clue where they are going to go yet but I'm getting them away from here."