A FAMILY has been forced to flee from a neighbour from hell-like existence in Preston.

Steve Johnson and his three teenage daughters had spent six years living in Watling Strret Road, Brookfield, Preston, running a gauntlet of abuse, they say, every time they left their terraced house.

Constant foul-mouthed name-calling, stone-throwing and regular acts of vandalism on his home have forced the family to move to a new part of town.

It is the second time in six years they have had to flee for their peace of mind, having uprooted from Tameside to move to Preston after suffering similar abuse there.

But local children are continuing to hurl abuse at Steve's daughters whenever they are spotted in town. Steve is at his wits end.

Steve said: "We found that much of the abuse was coming from one family who appear to hate us because we are a single parent family.

"It is horrendous. But it hasn't even stopped now we have left."

The final straw came when stones were hurled through the windows of their home and the tyres of Steve's car were slashed.

Steve still returns to Brookfield to look after an OAP on the estate.

He added: "What more do these people want? We have already lost our home because of the hate."

Preston Borough Council said it could not take action against council tenants unless they can prove the claims, while Preston police said they will continue to monitor the situation.

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