Neighbour from hell jailed for year-long campaign of terror which forced families away from sleepy street

A 72-year-old man dubbed a "neighbour from hell" has been sentenced to a year in prison for tormenting residents on a quiet coastal street.

Stephen Bowes was jailed for a string of 11 offences against neighbours on Seager Road in the Isle of Sheppey, Kent.

Locals accused him of behaving as though he owned the entire street - with some families said to have moved away entirely because of his conduct.

A sign displayed outside his own home, which features numerous CCTV cameras, reads: "Beware of the grumpy old git."

Bowes was sentenced at Margate Magistrates' Court on May 12.

He also received a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order restricting his activities in the area.

One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Sun: "He is a scary person. It was like he owned the street. If you parked outside his house he would unleash hell.

"Either he would angrily confront you, and he wouldn't hold back, or sometimes he would chillingly just stare at you.

"After he left, you'd forget about it, and suddenly you would notice your car had been keyed.

"I mean you wouldn't be able to prove it was him, but it seems like a coincidence. This happened to multiple people."

Locals claim Bowes would prowl through their gardens and bins before sunrise.

He allegedly kept as many as 10 vehicles outside his home and moved them at 4am, disturbing the entire road.

Resident Shaun Ryan said: "My neighbour runs a fencing business and he was always helping himself to bits of wood he had stored around the back.

"He is a nightmare, he would creep people out. People would look out their windows and see him poking around in their gardens."

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The most serious incident involved an arson attack in a narrow alleyway behind Bowes's home after a dispute with a neighbour.

He is said to have stuffed a pillow into a tyre and set it ablaze against a fence.

Charred remains of the tyre and damaged fencing are still visible.

His wife of 52 years, Sue, defended him as "a family man, and not a mass arsonist."

"He is really caring and lovely," she added. "I think he has been so unfairly treated and is being persecuted."

The Criminal Behaviour Order bans Bowes from entering any garden, pathway or driveway on the street without permission.

He is also prohibited from making excessive noise in the area and from entering the sports field opposite the street.

Inspector Julia Bassindale said: "Bowes's sustained and persistent offending has caused untold distress to residents, and we are pleased to have obtained a CBO which will hopefully persuade him to change his ways.

"This result is a testament to the effective joint working of several teams as well as individual officers such as beat officer PC Alison Honess who put a lot of work into securing this sentence and court order.

"If Bowes breaks the imposed conditions, he will quickly find himself back in front of a judge and face the consequences of his actions."