AN ongoing dispute between Skipton neighbours was unlikely to end until one of them moved away, heard magistrates.

Jason Anderton, 48, was given a six month conditional discharge, but ordered to pay his neighbour Ian Holmes £100 compensation after admitting at the Skipton court his assault by beating.

The court heard the two men had ended up on the floor with Anderton punching and kicking the older man in Regent Drive on August 16.

In his statement to police, read out in court, Mr Holmes said he was walking home with his dog at around 3.30pm when Anderton had started shouting and swearing at him in an aggressive manner.

Anderton accused him of stalking him and being in his garden and also used abusive words about his dog.

He said Anderton punched him in the face and body, causing him to fall to the ground, where he continued to punch and kick him.

The attack lasted around five minutes and ended with Mr Holmes with no visible injuries, apart from a cut to one of his hands.

Anderton, a man of previous good character, had been neighbours with Mr Holmes since 1993, the court was told. He had never been in trouble before and lived quietly with his widowed mother.

In mitigation, John Mewies said Anderton, who admitted assault, had also been assaulted by Mr Holmes, and that the incident was the culmination of long standing problems between them.

"He accepts that he went beyond what was self defence, he lost self control. This was very much six of one and half a dozen of the other," said Mr Mewies.

Mr Mewies added that what was a long term dispute between the men was unlikely to end until one of them moved house.

"I don't think this will be resolved until one of them decides to move, and at the end of the day, until something does happen, they will have to continue to live next to each other."

Anderton, of Kingsway, was given a six month conditional discharge and ordered to pay compensation of £100 to Mr Holmes. He will also have to pay costs of £85 and surcharge of £20.