A NEIGHBOUR who made life a misery for the family next door has been banned from living in his OWN house.

For five years, Carl Bridson taunted his neighbour Andrew Pennington, in Highfield Drive, Farnworth - referring to him as a Tellytubby.

He also vandalised his car, fired an air rifle at his house and deliberately filled his home with smoke from an outdoor wood-burning stove.

But the Pennington's are celebrating after Bolton magistrates ordered Bridson to abide by a landmark restraining order banning him from living in his own home.

It will come into effect when he is released from prison.

Bridson, aged 40, had been jailed for six months for harassment last November after breaching a restraining order made in January 2006 when he was convicted of harassing the Pennington family.

He was banned from making excessive noise, damaging property belonging to the family or obstructing the path to their home.

Bridson will only be allowed to visit his £85,000 house at set times when he is freed.

He shares the house with his partner and three children and he moved in to the semi-detached house 11 years ago, a year after Mr Pennington, a 45-year-old former postman, bought his house in which he lives with wife Janette, aged 45, and their two children.

Mr Pennington said: "It has taken five years of misery, but I hope it shows other people in the same position that they can do something about it.

"No one should have to go through what we've been through."

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: "This was an order made for a breach of a restraining order. It is not possible to say whether similar orders have been made before."