A FAMILY who made life a misery for their neighbours have been evicted from their home.

Christopher McClarty, his wife Veilia and their four children left the house on Windsor Grove, on Leigh's Higher Folds estate, hours before bailiffs were due to repossess the property on behalf of Wigan and Leigh Housing.

The McClarty family have a history of neighbour nuisance and extreme levels of anti-social behaviour.

At Wigan County Court in December, District Judge Jackson counted 12 instances of assault, 10 of abusive language, 23 missile throwing incidents, two of theft, four of creating excessive noise, seven of criminal damage, 12 of generalised neighbour nuisance and one instance of a knife being used to threaten someone.

Judge Jackson said: "No judge likes to make an order which will deprive a family of their home.

"Those who have attended court have conquered whatever fears they may have, and have had the courage to give evidence which I have found to be honest and believable.

"It is plain the defendant has little or no control over his children and they do what they want, when they want and with little or no regard for the effect on other members of their community."

"They seem to have little or no appreciation of the distress and upset their behaviour causes.

Peter Gee, chief executive of Wigan and Leigh Housing, said: "Despite giving this family numerous chances and warnings to change their behaviour there have been no improvements.

"This family considered themselves beyond the reach of the police and housing authorities -- this case demonstrates that nobody should take such a defiant stance."

Within days of the eviction, Wigan and Leigh Housing had to take further legal action to prevent the family returning to the estate.