Landowner slapped with restraining order after hanging dead cockerel outside councillor neighbour's home

A landowner who hung a dead cockerel outside her neighbour's home as part of a long-running feud has been handed a restraining order.

Diana Pritchard, 66, also taunted Liberal Democrats councillor Graham Jones by putting up a sign accusing him of being a woman beater.

Another sign alleged he had put his bins in the wrong place outside her home at Altingham Hall near Norwich Walsham, Norfolk.

Pritchard fell out with Mr Jones and his partner Madeline Haydon when the couple bought the hall's former coach house 11 years ago.

Great Yarmouth magistrates heard how their relationship deteriorated after an argument about parking.

Pritchard, who moved into the hall in 1985 with her architect husband, admitted harassment.

She was given a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £250 costs.

Pritchard was also handed an order banning her from communicating with Mr Jones or Mrs Haydon or putting up posters about them.

Prosecutor Fergus Harrold said Pritchard strung up the cockerel last November thinking Mrs Haydon had run over it. The dead bird was left outside Mr Jones and Mrs Haydon's house for some months.

The court heard how Pritchard put up signs around her grounds mocking the couple between last June and February.

One said 'Cllr Lib Dem Graham Jones interferes with these bins' and another stated: 'Cllr Lib Dem Graham Jones is a woman beater'.

Amrik Wahiwala, defending, said the second sign referred to Pritchard having been allegedly injured while having an argument with Mr Jones.

She added that Pritchard agreed she had gone too far and admitted the way the posters were phrased had caused offence.

Mr Jones, a North Norfolk district councillor for Antingham, said he was delighted with the outcome of the hearing.