AN elderly woman with dementia was left screaming in horror after "shameless" yobs threw ice in her face as they drove past in a van.

Irene Gullis, 84, was on the way for a Thursday coffee with her daughter Michelle when the incident happened. 

While waiting at a bus stop in Durham Road, Laindon, "disgusting" yobs threw a drink cup full of ice at Irene's face. 

They then taunted the mother and daughter before laughing and driving off. 

Michele says the force the ice was thrown left Irene with marks across her face and has “left her in an absolute state”.

Irene is now refusing to leave the house and paranoid that the perpetrators are stalking and harassing her.

Michelle has spoken of her horror after initially fearing acid had been thrown at them.

She said: “My mum was screaming as the ice was thrown in her face, I was terrified, I had no idea what it could be and my first reaction was ‘acid has been thrown over her.'

“The passenger was laughing at us as he went away, he looked to be between 19 and 23.

“She has been deeply shaken and it has been awful for her since, it ruined what was going to be a nice day and now she doesn’t want to go out and she hasn’t slept because she believes whoever did this is coming to her door."

Michelle added that she is “absolutely fuming” about the situation. 

She added: “It has impacted her mentally; it has been horrible and even I have been left frightened of simply waiting by a bus stop.

“I’m frightened for my mum, this was the last thing I wanted to happen, and she has had a real problem since, she has become so paranoid.”

The force of the ice also broke Irene’s glasses, as well as leaving marks and slight bruising on her face.

The incident was reported to Essex Police.