Helen Marsh has been slapped with an ASBO at Southampton Crown Court for terrorising her elderly neighbours in New Milton

For more than two years Helen Marsh terrorised and intimidated her neighbours, leaving them too afraid to go outside for fear of what she might do next.

From banging on walls constantly, to staring at them through windows and following them as they walked down the street, the 44-year-old made life a nightmare for the families she targeted.

Police fought a constant battle to try and get her to leave them alone, seeking restraining orders to protect her victims, while housing bosses struggled to kick her out of her New Milton home.

But after she was found guilty of breaching the restraining order six times, a judge has ruled that she should be slapped with an Anti Social Behaviour Order in the hope of protecting her neighbours.

The ruling, made at Southampton Crown Court, comes just days after Sovereign Housing Association finally succeeded in repossessing her home in Earlswood Park last week.

But as Marsh has not informed officers of her new address, the ASBO has become more important than ever, not only protecting those she has spent the last two years terrorising but anyone that becomes her neighbour within the next five years.

The court heard how Marsh moved into the New Milton home in February 2012 and since then she has made life a living hell for the elderly couple living next door, whose health has been affected by the stress caused by their neighbour.

She would stare at them through their windows, forcing them to live with their kitchen blind closed constantly, and also follow them if they went out for a walk.

The court was told that Marsh would also bang on the walls repeatedly, causing endless noise.

She also turned her attention to another family who had a disabled teenage son, intimidating them and following them.

As a result of her behaviour she was found guilty of harassment and given a restraining order, but having breached that six times, Marsh found herself back before the courts where she was given a community order.

The police and Crown Prosecution Service also applied for the ASBO which was granted by Judge Peter Henry who warned her that any further breach could see her jailed.

Under strict conditions, Marsh has also been banned from Earlswood Park and from causing harrassement, alarm or distress to anyone not living with her.

After the hearing PC Rachel Gallimore, New Forest Anti Social Behaviour Officer, said: “She has been the neighbour from hell for those living near her in Earlswood Park.

Helen Marsh received her ASBO at Southampton Crown Court

“Those she targeted were living in fear and afraid to go out thinking that she might be out there.

“She left them feeling extremely vulnerable, intimidated and had a massive impact on the way they lived their everyday lives.

“It was important for us to get the ASBO to protect any future neighbours that may be affected by her behaviour in any property that she moves into.”

• THE LAST two years have been a nightmare for those living next door to Marsh and left housing bosses with a headache of how to deal with her.

Sovereign Housing Association says it has been working with residents to bring an end to the misery she has caused and today it welcomed the ASBO.

A spokesperson said: “We are very pleased that the court has granted this five-year ASBO, which we have fully supported, and that, in a separate hearing last week, outright possession of this property was awarded to us.

“Helen Marsh has caused considerable distress to her neighbours, and we have been working closely with the police to put a stop to her anti-social behaviour.”

They added: “Sovereign aims to help local residents to build strong communities and we will always take firm action against anti-social and nuisance behaviour.

“We would like to thank people in the Earlswood Park neighbourhood - as well as the other agencies with which we work - for their support in helping us to achieve this outcome.”