A 58-year-old man has been found guilty of harassing his neighbour after a nuisance campaign which saw him throw carpet tacks and slug pellets over the fence into her garden.

Gul Fraz Majeed, of Charteris Road, Lower Grange, Bradford, denied subjecting neighbour Shakeela Danish to harassment without violence, claiming he was too ill to be able to physically throw anything over the fence, and that he rarely ventured into his garden due to his various health issues.

The charges relate to this summer - a period between July 2 and July 15 - but Mrs Danish, told Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court that the problems with her neighbour had been continuing for the past five years.

Following Majeed being issued with a harassment warning at the beginning of July, on two different occasions she saw him throwing things over her fence, she said.

Mrs Danish, who has four children living at home ranging in age from six to 17, described how she regularly found the sharp tacks in her front, side and back garden and her children's bikes had suffered punctures as a result.

Giving evidence, she said: "Sometimes it's daily, sometimes weekly and other times it's once a month."

"It effects every part of every day. Over the summer we couldn't just let the kids play outside."

On one occasion the family's pet Jack Russell was ill after eating some slug pellets she said Majeed had thrown into her garden.

Another neighbour Robert Keach told the court he had confronted Majeed after witnessing him throwing tacks onto the road and Mrs Danish's drive.

In his defence, Majeed said he was disabled and had a number of health issues that would prevent him from physically throwing tacks and pellets into his neighbour's garden. Instead he accused his neighbours, the police and the court of making false allegations against him.

He also told police that he had CCTV footage of his garden, but did not produce it.

Upon finding him guilty following the trial yesterday, chairman of the magistrates bench, Nadine Tidswell, said: "Mr Majeed has relied on his disability as being the reason for him not being responsible for throwing the pellets and tacks.

"He was clearly aware that his actions were causing harassment to Mrs Danish, as he was issued with a harassment warning and continued to behave in this manner."

Following the conviction, PC Di Walsh, of the Bradford District Anti-Social Behaviour Team, said: "We work with partners to reduce anti-social behaviour in the district and have zero tolerance to nuisance anti-social and intimidating behaviour.

"We deal with offences of this kind of behaviour to make communities safer and encourage people to report offence of this nature to us."

Magistrates sentenced Majeed to eight weeks imprisonment, suspended for one year. He was also given an indefinite restraining order that he make no contact, directly or indirectly with Mrs Danish or her family, must not enter her grounds or garden and must not use a mobile phone or camera to take photographs of her, her family or property.

He was also fined £210 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and compensation to Mrs Danish of £275.