A MAN threatened to smash his neighbour’s car with a baseball bat in a row about noise.

Paul McCartney was accused of spitting on his neighbour’s car before he returned with the bat after being driven to the end of his tether by noise from ongoing renovation work.

The 54-year-old, of Randwick Drive, Worcester, accepted charges of affray when appearing before magistrates earlier this month.

Peter Love, prosecuting, said the defendant’s neighbour saw him standing outside his home on the evening of April 18 before confronting him.

“I thought McCartney spat on my vehicle,” he said in a statement, read out in court. “I asked him if he did. He said no.”

At around 9.30pm, the complainant said McCartney returned with a baseball bat and threatened to smash his car and swore at him.

Mr Love said McCartney had been asking his neighbour to keep the noise down for months, with renovation works having been ongoing for two years.

However, he claimed the neighbour laughed in his face.

The solicitor said the defendant claimed he was angry about being told he was spitting on the car and, then armed with the bat, said: “If I wanted to damage your car, I would use this.”

McCartney was “angered and had been drinking” said Mr Love.

He said the complainant had requested “something be put in place to prevent further repercussions”.

“I want something put in place to protect me and my partner,” he said in his statement.

McCartney told the court: “I asked him to keep it down and he laughed in my face.

“We have had it for two years now.

“We had it on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. I don’t want to speak to him ever again.”

He was ordered to pay £285 in fines and costs, which will be paid for through his Employment and Support Allowance.