FAMILIES have rallied to the support of Tony and Maureen Talbot and their son Adrian who were dubbed Neighbours from Hell in a Gazette court report last week.

Mr and Mrs Talbot who have lived in the small close-knit cul-de-sac Hungerford Road in East Grafton told the Gazette emphatically: "We are not the neighbours from hell."

Adrian Talbot, 24, who lives in North Street, Pewsey, appeared before Devizes Magistrates on Tuesday last week.

A charge of causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress was dropped when he agreed to be bound over for a year in the sum of £1,000 to keep the peace towards Robert and Lorraine McGowan and Lorne Marsh.

The McGowans live opposite Tony and Maureen Talbot and the prosecution claimed Adrian Talbot had made racist remarks about Mr McGowan's Irish background.

Andrew Eddy, defending, told the court: "Mr Talbot has denied any racial harassment throughout these proceedings and he maintains his position."

Mr Eddy added: "On this particular occasion Mr Talbot was at the address (Hungerford Road) cleaning his motorbike. Certain comments and gestures were made by Mr McGowan towards him and he reacted in the way he accepts."

Rob Welling prosecuting told the court that Adrian Talbot said to Mr McGowan "If you carry on I will ****ing smack you in the mouth."

After the hearing Mrs McGowan told the Gazette that she and her husband, daughter and son had endured a Neighbours from Hell situation for the last two years at the hands of the Talbot family.

But the Talbots have responded saying that life was peaceful in the close until the McGowans moved in three years ago.

Truck driver Tony Talbot and his wife Maureen claim they and their family, including their grandson, have all been at the receiving end of verbal abuse from either Lorraine or Robert McGowan.

Mr and Mrs Talbot said their son reacted and swore at Mr McGowan out of sheer frustration after putting up with jibes and hand gestures by the McGowans.

Mr and Mrs Talbot have lived in Hungerford Road for 26 years and she has lived in Grafton since she was 11.

Mr Talbot said: "We have been 33 years in this village and I have never had an argument with anyone in the village."

He said he had helped the McGowans get their house three years ago when he heard they were interested in it and he persuaded the previous tenant to move to a nearby bungalow.

Mrs Talbot said: "Since the story appeared in the Gazette my phone has not stopped ringing with people saying they could not believe it, they were amazed that we were being called the neighbours from hell."

Tony Talbot was arrested by police after the McGowans made allegations against him that he had threatened to beat them. "I was taken in and questioned," said Mr Talbot Snr, "but they police rang the next morning to say they were not pressing charges because there was no evidence."

Sheila and Peter Perry, who live next door to the Talbots, said they were caring and helpful neighbours.

Andy Stewart, who lives a few doors away, said: "From day one I have had nothing but help from Tony and Maureen and their family."

Another neighbour, Ron Smith, said: "You couldn't have better neighbours."

Pensioner John Barham said: "From the day we moved in Tony has done everything he can to help."

Pewsey district councillor Jerry Kunkler, landlord of the Moonrakers, knows Adrian Talbot well and said: "He is the nicest, most placid bloke I know and has no temper at all."

Mrs McGowan said: "We stand by everything we say and the fact that Adrian Talbot was bound over vindicates us going to the police."