A BLACKBURN woman responsible for a two-year reign of abuse has been evicted from her home after housing association bosses used covert CCTV cameras to prove what she was doing.

Northern Counties Housing Association successfully persuaded a county court judge to give them a repossession order for Jacqueline Maudsley's home in Cedar Street, Blackburn.

Bailiffs have been to the house to make sure she has moved out -- but housing association bosses say they were appalled at the state she left it in.

The company, which owns hundreds of properties in East Lancashire, told Preston County Court Maudsley had inflicted a "prolonged and sustained" campaign of extreme verbal abuse on Asian families in the Bastwell area.

Problems first came to light in March 2002, when Maudsley moved to the area and initially claimed she was the victim of harassment. Police and the housing association investigated the claims, some of which were proved false when it emerged those she had been accusing were not in the UK at the time of the alleged offences.

As a result, Northern Counties installed covert CCTV which enabled other allegations to be disproved.

Four Asian families stood up in court to tell how they had been subjected to extreme abuse, including foul and racist language, from Maudsley.

Some said they felt so threatened that they had decided to move away from the area until Northern Counties urged them to help with court action.

As a result, an Anti-Social Behaviour Order with Possession -- which gives the association the right to reclaim its house -- was issued.

Carol Matthews, Northern Counties director of housing management services, said: "This was a long, costly and difficult matter to resolve but we were determined to see justice done.

"The families have been through a very distressing experience and it took great courage to give evidence in court under very strict cross examination."

She added that the possession order was very unusual and was granted in recognition that Maudsley's mere presence was causing such distress and fear to her neighbours that she should no longer remain at the property.