A family who harassed their neighbours for five years have fled the country without handing over £40,000 they owe in damages.

The Ho family, of Tweed Crescent, Bicester, were found guilty of harassing Paula and Robert Burden at Oxford County Court 18 months ago.

The court heard a dispute began in 2001, when the Burdens complained about cooking smells wafting from a kitchen extractor vent.

In return, they experienced five years of false racism, burglary allegations, a CCTV camera pointed at their house, a fence topped with barbed wire and a mechanical frog which "croaked" all day and night, the court heard.

The Burden family has not received the £25,000 compensation or £15,000 legal costs and fear they could go bankrupt without the money.

They have now learned neighbours Dr Kwok Hang Ho, wife Paula and daughter Sylvanna have abandoned their house and their post is being redirected to Hong Kong.

Mother-of-one Paula Burden, 54, said she feared the saga would never end. She said: "We're still at desperation point. It's been a long hard fight and although theoretically it's over, it isn't, because we still haven't received the damages.

"Everyone said 'don't go to court' but we had to fight, because we did nothing wrong. With hindsight, it was probably a big mistake. The ultimate irony is this thing could bankrupt us."

In February, the Burdens returned to court, as they had not received compensation from Dr and Mrs Ho.

Their daughter Sylvanna, a postgraduate biochemistry student at Oxford University, immediately paid the £6,000 she owed.

But with no more compensation forthcoming, her father was declared bankrupt by the court after an application by the Burdens.

The Ho family have not been seen at their home since March.

Mrs Burden added: "If I had known it was going to be this painful, then we would have moved away years ago.

"But why should we? This is the family home and we lived quite happily for 11 years before all the trouble. It's been absolute hell."

Last summer, the Hos were warned they faced jail unless they adhered to the court order and removed the fence and croaking frog.

With debts from their legal fight, the Burdens need the compensation to pay bills.

No-one was in when the Oxford Mail called at the Ho family's house. The telephone line is disconnected and the garden is overgrown.