A mother has hit out at police for failing to act after her 12-year-old daughter was subject to a “horrendous” ordeal in a park.

Maranda Cameron, 12 and her friend Lily Best, 11, were walking through Seven Kings Park, near the Wallington Road entrance, at about 7pm on Tuesday of last week when they say they were approached by six teenagers.

According to the girls, the gang made them hand over a mobile telephone.

They say they were then forced them to put their hands on their heads, get down on their knees and then do press-ups.

Maranda’s mother, Mary Anne Spencer, claims that although the girls dialled 999 and spoke to an operator for some 13 minutes, no police officers were sent until noon the next day, when a Pc came to her house to take a statement.

‘Shocked and crying’

Mrs Spencer, of Farnham Road, Seven Kings, said: “I am really angry. This behaviour is just horrendous and I can’t understand why the police didn’t attend.

“Both of the girls were shocked, crying and really upset. If the police had come straight away they would certainly have found the kids who did this.”

As part of a humiliating series of acts, the girls say they were also made to sing songs and say swear words.

Mrs Spencer says that as she rushed to find the pair after the attack she encountered three boys and three girls, aged about 14, thought to have been involved in the attack

She added: “I am confident that they will be caught when they go back to school.”

A police spokesman said: “An officer was assigned to attend but was delayed due to operational reasons. It was agreed that police would attend the following day to take the report.”