A mother who murdered her disabled daughter and killed herself by setting fire to the car they were in had been tormented by youths who mocked her child’s severe learning difficulties.

Fiona Ann Pilkington, 38, had repeatedly told Leicestershire police that a gang of children had embarked on a campaign of terror against her daughter, Francesca Hardwick, 18.

Neighbours told yesterday how children had taunted the disabled woman shouting “disabled bitch” and other obscenities as she stood at her window. On other occasions they would hurl stones and eggs at the windows and bang on the front door of the home Ms Pilkington shared with her daughter and son, Anthony, 16.

The women’s remains were discovered burnt beyond recognition after Ms Pilkington apparently doused the car with petrol and set it alight. It was discovered in a lay-by in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, on Tuesday night.

Leicester police said yesterday that they were treating the incident as murder and suicide, adding that detectives would now reinvestigate a series of complaints about antisocial behaviour in the family’s neighbourhood.

The Times has learnt that the women’s deaths came only three weeks after the mother last contacted police to complain that her family’s lives were being made a misery.

Ann Jones, who lived opposite Ms Pilkington, said that the single parent had simply “had enough” of being harassed by local youths. “If the police had done their job she would have been here today,” Mrs Jones, 55, said.

The family lived in Bardon Road, Barwell, an area, neighbours said, that was plagued with children wreaking havoc on the streets at night. Other neighbours told how the gangs of children would hang around, making the family virtual prisoners.

Superintendent Rachel Swann said that the force would review how the woman’s complaints were handled. “As a force, we are asking questions of ourselves by reviewing the incidents Fiona reported to us. We work closely with the council to tackle antisocial behaviour and they too are reviewing the incidents reported by this family.

“We will, of course, take any necessary action highlighted when those reviews are complete.”

Three people had been arrested and one charged this week in connection with antisocial behaviour in the area. However, a spokeswoman emphasised that they were not connected to the investigation into the women’s deaths.

As family and friends paid tribute to the mother and daughter, neighbours told how Francesca, known as Frankie, had been targeted by cruel children.

Kylie Lloyd, 17, said: “Frankie was always at the window, waving and saying hello to passers-by, but the lads just used to hurl abuse at her.

“She never came into the street and was usually either in the front room or the garden in her pyjamas. They would just call her a disabled bitch.

“Fiona couldn’t cope with both children on her own. She struggled as Frankie got older, so her mother had to move in. It was very hard for her.”

Even as news of their deaths spread, youths were seen clambering over the garden fence at Ms Pilkington’s home and running around in the garden.

Catherine Cooper, 77, a neighbour and family friend, said: “Teenagers are a problem here, and I had a feeling something was about to come to a head. But I never guessed it would have ended like this.”

Ms Pilkington’s parents, David and Pam Cassell, said: “We can’t say anything. We are just too shattered to talk about what has happened.”

Francesca’s father, Simon Hardwick, was being comforted by his mother, Edith.

Tony Smith, the headmaster at Dorothy Goodman Special School, where Francesca had been a pupil for the past 14 years, said she was a respected and popular student. He said: “We are deeply saddened by what has occurred and we will miss her greatly.”

Post-mortem examinations confirmed detectives’ beliefs that no one else was involved in their deaths.

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