Living in fear of neighbours from Hell

Cllr Peter Fairhurst says problem families brought into Pebsham because they had to be re-housed from elsewhere have so terrorised neighbours that four families had been moved out of their homes for their own safety.

He raised the issue at this week's public consultation meeting held by Sussex Police Authority.

Neighbours had come to him in despair after the situation become so violent that their children had to scramble over the back fence and into a field to hide.

Police and housing officers believe the only answer is Anti-Social Behaviour Orders.

But Cllr Fairhurst said: "An officer from Rother Homes has told the residents they have to 'stand up and be counted' and give evidence so ASBOs can be obtained.

"But when she visited she had a police escort! That to me smacks of double standards.

"These people are absolutely terrified. They have had threats of knives and petrol bombs."

He told Monday's meeting at the Town Hall: "They feel that the police are doing nothing to help them."

County community safety coordinator Angela Haines told him: "This is an issue not just for the police but for Rother Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership."

An Anti-Social Behaviour Order officer was being appointed.

"This person will be based in the district council office here and will work closely with the partnership and set up an anti-social behaviour group.

"People in the community will know what is going on on a monthly basis.

"We will discuss these families and individuals where we are hearing that they are causing problems and we will decided what action to take.

"It is not just a police responsibility. Local authorities can do this - and crime and disorder reduction partnerships."

But the answer does not satisfy the councillor.

"I am amazed that she could say in effect 'We can sort this out.'

"If it is as easy as she says why didn't they do this in the past? This has been going on a long time."

He recognises that Rother is in an "impossible" position.

"It is getting worse. People are out of their minds with worry.

"But there is no answer because the law says that if someone is homeless Rother has to find them somewhere to live."

In another instance, where officers moved a problem family out of social housing and into private rented accommodation the authority had to pay six months rent in advance.

"In due course the family had to be evicted because they had wrecked the place so the council lost its six months rent and a 1,000 deposit."

A spokesman for the worried neighbours said: "At the moment, we don't want to say anything to the paper. Because of the problems we are experiencing we have other people working on it for us.

"We have spoken together and we are all agreed that we don't want to say anything because of possible repercussions."