heads should roll I COULDN'T believe what I was reading! "Neighbours from hell evicted," BEN, October 17.

In Liverpool County Court, two neighbours from Leigh, told of threats, intimidations, damage and general harassment, they had had to endure for over nine years -- yes, nine years -- from a family living nearby.

One of the neighbours said that his son now suffers nightmares, after being attacked, and having a screwdriver shoved in his eye.

The same man had to give up his job after threats were made to petrol bomb his house, and he was too afraid to leave his wife alone in the house at night.

Other neighbours were said to be too afraid to give evidence.

As well as the threats, these people have had to endure gangs riding motor cycles over their open-plan gardens, and air pistols being fired at their homes and cars.

Fireworks and other missiles have also been thrown, and this intolerable behaviour has been going on almost non-stop.

For nine long years these people have had to endure this absolutely unacceptable behaviour, that should not have been allowed to go on for nine days.

How can the police and the council -- in this case, Wigan Borough Council -- justify taking so long to sort this out?

After the case, Denis Harrison, the authority's tenancy relations officer, said, the case was one of the worst the council has had to deal with.

One of the worst! Does this mean there have been -- and probably still are -- other cases, equally as bad, and even worse?

An investigation should be launched to find out why the police allowed this unacceptable situation to continue for so long, and why the Council took nine years to evict these neighbours from hell.

This is a scandal and obviously not isolated. Heads should roll.

But what worries me now, is that this family need to be re-housed. Will their new neighbours have to suffer for nine years?

Surely yet another reason for trial tenancies!

Brian Derbyshire

Ribchester Grove

Bolton