So-called neighbours from hell make life a misery for those people unfortunate enough to live nearby.

Those who have had to put up with anti-social behaviour so close to home can testify how dreadful it is, especially as there is no escaping the torment because it is happening on their doorsteps.

In recent years there seems to have been more focus on such problems and the need to address them, with the result that the authorities appear much better at building a case against those who cause such suffering.

This is not always as easy as it may first appear, because gathering the evidence which is vital if legal action is to work can be a long, hard process – especially as some people may be too intimidated to go on the record against their tormentors.

But a range of imaginative strategies and a real determination can and do pay dividends.

The latest example of this is the eviction of a woman from a block of flats after a court heard the premises were at the centre of drug dealing and taking.

It is almost impossible to imagine how horrible it must have been to live next door to such goings-on.

This action will give those neighbours a welcome respite while serving as a warning to other anti-social tenants of what may lie in store for them if they do not mend their ways.