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Spy neighbour eviction delays force out victim
An anxious Halesowen mother has hit out at delays in booting out a nightmare neighbour who made holes in her teenage daughter's bedroom ceiling.
Lisa White, of New John Street, claims her family have been left in limbo and her daughter forced to leave home because of the slow nature of eviction proceedings against next-door neighbour Michael Smith.
The 47-year-old was jailed for six months in November last year for twice breaching a criminal anti-social behaviour order after he removed bricks from a loft wall and made four holes with a screwdriver above 16-year-old Kayleigh's bedroom.
Landlord Black Country Housing and Community Services applied for a possession order to evict Smith after he was released in January but have been told they must wait until Friday May 30 for the hearing.
Lisa said the delays were causing more anxiety for her family, and revealed a scared Kayleigh, now aged 17, had left home to live with her gran.
She said: "Kayleigh did not feel safe being here with him next door.
"It's over a year now since it all happened.
"We have been in limbo what with one thing and another.
"It seems to be court date after court date and just when it seems like it might be all be over something else gets in the way.
"The landlords have done all they can but that does not help us."
Smith, who was slapped with the original anti-social behaviour order in 2006, was also arrested for training a surveillance camera on the kitchen and back door of the White's home in a campaign of terror against the family.
Ramesh Malhan, housing manager at Black Country Housing, said the firm had stressed the urgency of the case to the courts.
He said: "We tried to get a date pretty quickly and we have not been happy with the time it has taken."
3:24pm Thursday 17th April 2008
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