A BOLTON family forced out of their home by a noisy neighbour's reign of terror have spoken of their "great relief" at a judge's ruling to evict the woman. Bolton Council was granted the power to re-possess the council house in Hollin Acre, Westhoughton, from single mum Diane Woolham yesterday. Bury County Court heard that Mr and Mrs Gail and George Prest were forced to move out of their home into rented accommodation when they could take no more of a "constant stream of noise" coming from Miss Woolham's semi-detached house next door.

Mr and Mrs Prest sought medical help for stress and their children Kelly, 10, and Lee, seven, were traumatised by the incessant noise.

After the judgement Mr and Mrs Prest said in a joint statement: "This brings to an end 18 months of sheer terror. It's been hell.

"You read and hear about these kind of cases but unless you are a victim yourself you just cannot realise how terrible it is. This judgement is a great relief and brings this all to an end at last."

The barrage of noise was said to include loud music at all hours of the day and night, shouting and screaming at "top note" including regular foul and abusive language and doors being banged repeatedly for up to an hour at a time. Mrs Prest told the court: "When the door was banging so much all we could think was it was being done on purpose."

The children's worried head teacher spoke to Mr and Mrs Prest about their children not paying attention in class because they were too tired.

And seven months after Miss Woolham and her two young children moved in, the Prests moved out in desperation in December last year. They had lived there peacefully for seven years before the trouble began but they now live at a rented address elsewhere in Bolton.

But the noise continued in Hollin Acre and a series of complaints continued to be made to council housing officers about noise nuisance from Miss Woolham, her children and a stream of regular visitors to her house.

The court was told that housing officers made an offer to re-house Miss Woolham and her children which she refused. When legal proceedings began the amount and regularity of noise reduced, but there were still frequent disturbances, and many residents were living in a climate of fear.

Miss Woolham did not appear at court to defend the case against her.

Summing up district recorder Saunders said: "This family have been too frightened to go back home - that is an appalling state of affairs.

"Since legal proceedings began there has been an improvement, but it is only a relative one and noise is continuing. "Taken overall there has been a persistent, blatant, inexcusable breach of the tenancy agreement with a pattern of wholly unacceptable noise levels."

Miss Woolham and her children must get out of the council house by Friday, October 4. She will be given temporary council accommodation until she finds somewhere else to live.

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