Two Muslim sisters have spent almost £4,500 stepping up security at their home over fears they are being targeted by racist thugs.

Sheena Ahmet, 68, and her 80-year-old sister Eve said they have had pork fat, fish heads, chicken bones and mincemeat thrown into their garden - along with flowers cut from their stems and furniture broken.

They claim to have suffered abuse ever since they moved into their house in Reculver Drive, Herne Bay, in 2000.

Now the pair have told their story in a desperate appeal to get the culprits to stop.

They said: "We are so fed up here. We feel insecure. We are both very frightened."

In an attempt to catch the vandals, the sisters installed £2,000 of CCTV at their home in 2011 and spent another £1,400 earlier this month after the abuse stepped up.

Now they have erected barbed wire fencing around the roof of their shed, costing £500, after they say they saw intruders jumping on it. They have spent another £500 on security lighting.

Among the lengthy list of repairs over the years, the pensioners have spent £50 fixing guttering, which was ripped down, £80 on shed repairs and £50 fixing a satellite dish, which an engineer said had broken through "third party intervention".

Retired nurse Sheena, who started working in NHS hospitals in 1973, said: "We don't sleep and we are helpless. We cannot lead a normal life. It's been a very long time and I want it to stop now.

"Sometimes I wake up at 1.30am and run downstairs thinking there is someone in the garden.

"Every morning I go to the garden and wonder what's been damaged next."

Retired sewing machinist Eve said: "We have had enough. I feel sad. We have had to spend all our money on expensive cameras and lights. We are scared every night."

Sheena said the pair feel let down by the police, who they feel have not taken the issue seriously enough.

The Turkish-Cypriot sisters have written scores of letters to the force as well as local councillors, action groups and MP Sir Roger Gale.

In one letter to the police, Sir Roger said: "In this instance there would certainly appear to be an ingredient of racial harassment that is unacceptable."

Sheena added: "We don’t know what else to do. I want them to take us seriously and give us a bit of dignity."

Ch Insp Mark Arnold said: "We have done considerable work with Miss Ahmet.

"This work has involved our neighbourhood officers as well as officers experienced in dealing with allegations of hate crime including racial abuse.

"Kent Police, the local authority and mediation service have had and will continue to have ongoing discussions to try and find a solution to the issues Miss Ahmet feels she is having to endure.

"We can reassure her that her complaints have been taken seriously and have been fully investigated."