A NEIGHBOUR has been ordered to pay thousands of pounds because of the noise caused by his cockerel, chickens and geese.

Ronald Nepean had already been found guilty of breaching a statutory noise nuisance notice after failing to keep his feathered friends quiet in his back garden in Musgrave Close, Dovercourt.

But the former prison officer continued to fail to control the animals, leading to his neighbours labelling him “pure evil”.

The couple, Alexander and Jennifer Thompson, had complained about the noise to Tendring Council and the Environment Agency a number of times before the notice was issued.

They said the noise of the various birds was “overbearing”.

When Nepean failed to comply with the notice, he was summonsed to court.

However, Nepean failed to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court and was found guilty in his absence of breaching the abatement notice and ordered to pay a total of £4,060.

Larissa Hutson, prosecuting, said a summons was served on Nepean in October 2017, after he failed to comply with a statutory noise nuisance notice from the Tendring Council about excessive noise from his birds.

Ms Hutson told the court sound equipment was then installed in the Thompsons’s home by Tendring Council environmental protection officer Andrew Rutson-Edwards in order to track the levels of sound made by the birds between October 5 and October 11.

Evidence from Mr Rutson-Edwards read in court stated the cockerel noise was excessive on October, 8, 9 and 10 and he was concerned Nepean’s abatement notice was breached due to the loud crowing.

A statement was read to the court from Mrs Thompson dated March 28, 2018.

She said: “I first contacted Tendring Council in February 2017 following on-going noise from geese, chickens and a cockerel.

“I have been woken up by them every day.

“The noise from the geese and chickens continued to cause havoc.

“I contacted Tendring Council again and noise equipment was installed.

“The noise from the chickens, geese and cockerel became unbearable.”

Mrs Thompson said: “As time went on, the owner of the birds claimed to have mental health problems but he is just in fact pure evil.”

Mr Thompson added: “The livestock has been a real pain as we haven’t been able to have people round because of the noise.”

The geese were rehomed in September 2017.

Nepean has bee fined £2,640, ordered to pay £1,250 which reflects the cost of work by Tendring Council and an £170 victim surcharge.