A FEUD between neighbours came to head at Watford Magistrates Court on Tuesday, when a woman was found guilty of breaching an abatement notice for noise pollution.

Andrea Reid, of 36 Stripling Way, Watford, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, was fined £250 and £100 court costs.

Her neighbours Mr Barry Luff, 27, and his partner, Miss Sheena Simes, 24, who live at 38 Stripling Way with their two children aged three and four, told the court they had been battling with their neighbour for more than a year to put an end to her loud music.

After a number of complaints to Watford Council, the authority's environmental health officer, Mrs Vanessa Cole, served an abatement notice prohibiting Reid from making further noise nuisances on February 19 last year.

But the court was told Reid breached the notice when she hosted a barbecue at her home on August 9.

Miss Simes, who has lived at Stripling Way for two years, said: "We received a note from Miss Reid informing us she was having a barbecue on Saturday.

"I was putting out the washing in my garden at around 11am that day and heard loud music coming from the stereo system that was being set up by two men.

"However, I didn't see a barbecue or any food being prepared.

"I said to one of the men I thought this was supposed to be a barbecue, not a party, and I got a lot of abuse.

"Then Miss Reid came out and told me I had a big problem and that she was going to tear my arms off and shed my blood. She even tried to climb over the fence but the two men pulled her off.

"I said she was the one who had the problem and asked her to turn the music down.

"She called me a fat cow and said I was racist. I told her I was pregnant but she said she didn't care."

Mr Luff told the court: "The music was blaring when we went out at 12.30pm and when we returned at 8pm, the music was still very loud and people were in our front garden and sitting on our fence.

"The music was so loud the walls were vibrating and the children could not sleep. It was even difficult to hold a conversation.

"When we asked them to turn the music down ,a group of females shouted abuse saying 'We are going to kill you'."

Mr Luff explained he suffered from anxiety attacks and was on medication for his condition.

He claimed the feud with his neighbour had increased his stress.

Mrs Cole told the court: "I received a complaint from Mr Luff, on Saturday evening about the amount of noise coming from number 36.

"I went to investigate and arrived there at 10.30pm and saw there were a lot of people outside number 36 and 38.

"I could hear loud, blaring amplified music coming from the house.

"When I advised her (Reid) to turn the music down she agreed but when I went back at 11.05pm the music was blaring again, so I asked her to turn the music off."

Reid was summoned to Watford Town Hall two weeks later and was cautioned by Mrs Cole.

Reid who has lived at the property with her 18-year-old son for the past 18 months, defended herself in court.

She said: "As I told Mrs Cole, I had gone to the police station on the previous Monday to tell them I wanted to have a barbecue from 11am to 11pm and how should I go about it.

"The police officer advised me to notify the neighbours and as long as the barbecue ended before midnight there wasn't a problem.

"I did this because Mr Luff and Miss Simes were always complaining about noise and I didn't want any problems.

"I turned the music down when Mrs Cole asked me to but didn't turn it up again.

"Miss Simes was very abusive to me and my son when we were setting up the barbecue and was swearing at us."

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