A young couple accused of being 'neighbours from hell' told today how they were hounded from their home - as neighbours began celebrating victory in the row.

Katherine O'Neill, 18, and Mark Clifford, 23, were accused of anti-social behaviour and left their home after being threatened with eviction by the Vale Housing Association.

On Thursday, the couple agreed to end the tenancy at their flat in Lammas Close, Abingdon, one day before the matter was due to go to court.

Neighbours and police were preparing to give evidence against them, over a series of incidents, in a bid to gain a court eviction. The Vale Housing Association said the couple had disrupted peaceful life in Lammas Close since they arrived in September last year. They were accused of being noisy, abusive to neighbours and of causing damage to property, lighting bonfires and damaging trees.

The association said police had been called to the flat on five occasions since March, following complaints of disturbance in the early hours.

Neighbours complained of screaming, singing and playing loud music.

Bill Henderson, the association's director of housing services, said: "This is the worst case we've had in the last five years. We will not tolerate this sort of behaviour.

"I hope this case acts as a deterrent to the very small minority of tenants who are anti-social." Neighbours are claiming victory now the couple have left.

But the accused couple, who have two sons, say the allegations were blown out of all proportion by a neighbour, Carol Beacon.

Miss O'Neill, who gave birth to her second son Harry six weeks ago, said: "It's been so hard. We feel we've been treated completely unfairly by the Vale.

"We've moved of our own accord because we feel hounded and have had enough of Abingdon.

"According to Carol and her friend Linzie Stone, we played loud music - but we do not have a stereo."

Mr Clifford said: "I have a Walkman - if the neighbours can hear that then they must have very good ears." The couple admitted chopping down trees to light a fire, but said they were clearing up the garden.

Miss O'Neill said: "It's a large garden with lots of debris left by previous tenants. We lit the bonfire to clean it up - but the neighbours had a problem with that.

"Carol and her friends are telling everyone we sell drugs from our home, but they think that because both our parents have nice cars."

The couple say they were only noisy during a few weeks when their relationship became stormy.

Miss O'Neill said: "We had a few problems like any young couple. But we sorted it out. I thought we could live alongside Carol, despite the feud, but she was determined to spread lies until we were forced to leave." On the date they were accused of playing loud music, Miss O'Neill says she was due for a hospital scan and the couple were staying with a friend in Oxford.

Carol Beacon, who said she was moving home to get away from the couple, added: "It has been horrendous.

"They had parties all night and I was verbally abused constantly. I moved here three years before they did. It was a quiet neighbourhood then."

Story date: Saturday 11 December

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.