A HOUSING association caretaker and his wife spoke today of their 'months of hell' at the hands of a tenant.

John and Diane Hayes, of Bridgemill Road, Blackburn, said David Pickup had threatened to kill them and made their lives a misery after a row last August.

They said Pickup, 52, formerly of Cicely Court, abused them daily and warned he would "put a petrol bomb through their door."

Blackburn magistrates imposed a 12-month restraining order on Pickup, now of the Islington Motel, Bolton Road, Blackburn.

It will prevent him having any contact with Mr and Mrs Hayes and banned him from going within 50 metres of their home. He was also made subject to a 12 month community rehabilitation order with a condition that he attends the alcohol and substance related offending programme.

The court was told the trouble started when Pickup went to the couple's house after he had locked himself out last August.

Mr Hayes, 48, said: "I said I would have to get somebody out and that it would cost him. He shouted abuse at me and then went round to his house and smashed his own window to get in. He kept coming round after that, insisting he wasn't going to pay for it.

"He's cut a satellite cable, bent my windscreen wipers and dumped rubbish on our garden He also said that he was going to kill me and put a petrol bomb through my door.

"He went up to my wife, Diane, in Morrisons and shouted in her face that she was a cow.

"I've had to take six weeks off work through stress and Diane has taken time off too. My doctor gave me pills because I couldn't sleep and Diane has been in tears all the time.

"I've worked for Space Housing Association for six years and before that I was a contractor in the housing sector for over 20 years and I've never seen anything like this. But he's only received a slap on the wrist"

Daniel King, defending, said Pickup was a retired miner. "There was a loss of self-worth and alcohol became a permanent feature of his existence," he said.