A DARLINGTON pensioner who was forced to move out of her home of almost 20 years after being subjected to months of antisocial behaviour says she was let down by the council.

The 73-year-old had complained to the housing ombudsman about how landlord Darlington Borough Council had handled her complaint about a campaign of antisocial behaviour, which she says involved being spat, sworn and laughed at.

The woman, who did not want to be named, told the Northern Echo she had moved in with her son at the end of last year because she had become fearful of leaving her home.

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She said: "Now I'm with my son I feel safe but it was a lovely home.

"The whole thing was shocking because I didn't do anything.

"The council have been hopeless."

Her son added: "We feel very let down by the council. It was quite shocking."

She had been living in the two-bedroom maisonette since 2003 but moved out at the end of last year following months of what she described as harassment and antisocial behaviour by a neighbour who moved next door in March 2019.

The first issues started arising because the neighbour had a problem with how the pensioner had been maintaining a communal garden, resulting in her having flowers pulled up and having to relocate some plants.

The neighbour also complained about the position of her rotary washing line.

The woman told the ombudsman she had reported a large number of issues over more than a year, including broken glass being left outside her front door, rubbish being dumped outside the property, a security light being vandalised and being spat at and verbally abused.

The ombudsman said there was a "service failure" by the council in its handling of the reports of antisocial behaviour.

While the initial response was appropriate, the ombudsman said, it added the authority had not investigated complaints after a mediation process had failed in October 2019.

The woman had made antisocial behaviour reports during 2020 but these were not investigated.

A report said: "There is no record, beyond telling the resident it would speak to the neighbour and considering video evidence of one incident in June 2020, that the landlord took any steps to investigate these reports."

There was also no evidence the council had provided emotional support to the woman, despite it being part of its antisocial behaviour policy

The council had also offered incorrect advice on several issues, the report concluded

Darlington Borough Council has been told to apologise to the woman and pay her compensation of £250 for "distress and inconvenience."

A council spokesman said:“While we would not wish to comment on individual complaints, we take reports of anti-social behaviour very seriously and work closely with the police and other agencies, where possible, to resolve these issues.

“We have recently consulted tenants following a review of the terms and conditions within our tenancy agreements, which includes changes to enable us to take swift action against perpetrators and support tenants who are subject to anti-social behaviour.

“Where a complaint is made to the Ombudsman we fully cooperate. We have received the Housing Ombudsman’s report and are in the process of implementing their orders.”

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