A PUB landlord says he is under siege from thugs and may be forced to pack up unless police support him properly.

Ian Dane, 47, who runs the Kings Head pub, in West Street, Rochford, said both he and his customers had been assaulted by yobs and his pub had been smashed up several times.

He said there had been six incidents in the past year that had cost him thousands of pounds to repair.

Mr Dane, who is partially disabled, said: "It's a group of about 12 people who are making my life a misery. I won't allow these young thugs in my pub, but the police are letting me down.

"Each time I've been assaulted or my pub vandalised, they let these people go with cautions.

It's ridiculous - these guys know they can get away with it.

"It's causing me a loss of trade because the pub is getting a bad reputation. It's getting to the stage where I could leave because there's no point in carrying on."

Mr Dane took over the pub about two years ago and said he took a zero-tolerance approach to the troublemakers who used to frequent it.

In April last year, he was knocked into some speakers which left him bruised and battered.

Then in October, a young lout who despite being barred from the pub, vandalised the toilets. He also assaulted a customer.

Last month, Mr Dane had a phone knocked out of his hand which hit a customer, giving them a black eye, and the pub windows were smashed.

Chief Insp Andy Parkman, at Rochford Police Station, said: "We will not stand for any antisocial behaviour on licenced premises and will deal robustly with anyone causing trouble."