A NEIGHBOUR from hell who launched a four-year ‘race hate’ campaign against a family has now been jailed for possessing child porn.

Nigel Hesmondhalgh, 37, is beginning a nine-month sentence after a series of degrading photos and videos of children were found on his home computer.

Detectives have welcomed the punishment, imposed by Judge Simon Newell at Burnley Crown Court, on Hesmondhalgh, of Stanley Street, Accrington.

The judge also ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

Hesmondhalgh was only released from a 30-week jail sentence in November when police swooped on his Hyndburn home.

His computer was seized within a fortnight and was found to contain no fewer than 29 indecent images of children, and 11 similar videos.

Four of the pictures, and three of the videos, were graded at level four, the second most serious category of child pornography.

After the case, Detective Inspector Claire Holbrook said: “I hope this case will serve as a warning to those who view such material that we will find them out, arrest them and do everything with- in our power to prosecute them.

“In downloading this material the viewers indirectly cause these horrific offences and images to continue to be produced.”

Hesmondhalgh was jailed at the Burnley court in March for an offence of racially-aggravated harassment.

Police obtained a two-year Anti-Social Behaviour Order against him, before his release, to prevent him from throwing dog dirt into his neighbours’ garden, or using racist language towards an Asian family.