A man jailed for waving a toy gun at teenagers he said were harassing him has been unfairly imprisoned, says his mother.

She also criticised Oxford police for failing to stop youths terrorising him.

Richard Bottley, 37, of Buttercup Square, Greater Leys, was jailed for six months at Oxford Crown Court on April 22, after he waved a toy pistol at youths he said had pushed him to the end of his tether.

His mother, Rachel Bottley, 63, of Mortimer Road, Rose Hill, Oxford, said: "He has been unfairly imprisoned. He had been terrorised by boys with baseball bats over a period of time.

"To protect himself when he had to go out on the estate, he put a plastic gun in his pocket.

"That gun couldn't have even fired water. It's so unfair he has been sent to prison.

"They had been harassing and intimidating him for six months. They broke his landlady's windows. They came at him with baseball bats, stole his petrol cans and threatened him with a sledgehammer handle.

"He reported it to the police and they didn't do anything."

Mr Bottley's landlady, Rita Madden, 50, said: "We came back and found our windows had been smashed. The police couldn't do anything about it.

"Last week, I had been to my mum's, got off the bus and normally my son would meet me. He didn't come so I walked home and was harassed by the youths. I haven't told the police, but I have told Richard's solicitor."

The youths turned up on the doorstep with baseball bats, calling Mr Bottley a "paedophile" and "pervert" after police said they were not following up allegations he tried to kiss one of their sisters.

Mrs Madden said: "He is not a paedophile. He has a little boy, whom he sees every other weekend, and he wouldn't be allowed access if he was. I wouldn't have him as a lodger if he was."

Thames Valley Police spokesman Tim Wiseman said that on the night Mr Bottley pulled out the toy gun, he had been provoked by youths. He added: "It looked realistic and the courts dealt with it as they deal with all firearms cases."