A NEIGHBOUR from hell left 35 bags of rubbish and a used children’s potty in his back garden, which attracted rats and mice for more than a year.

Andrew Wheeler, “consistently” failed to put his rubbish out for collection and instead, piled the waste in his back garden.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard Wheeler, of Crowhurst Road, Colchester, began dumping the rubbish in the summer of 2013.

Despite a number of warnings, he has ignored all but one – when his mother insisted the mess was cleared in February this year.

Rebekah Straughan, prosecuting for Colchester Council, told the court at one stage, Wheeler, 33, left out 35 black sacks, a bed, a chair and a dirty child’s potty.

She also said neighbours and environmental health workers had spotted rats, mice and flies during several visits.

Magistrates found the dad-of-two guilty of breaching a Prevention of Damage by Pests notice and ordered him to pay £570.

Neighbours, who refused to be named, have described Wheeler, who previously ran the Layer Cake bar, in High Street, as a “neighbour from hell”.

Wheeler did not attend the hearing, but the case was proved in his absence.

Attempts to contact Wheeler by the Gazette have been unsuccessful.

See Monday's Gazette for more