A pensioner who harassed his neighbours has been given 18 months probation - and a jail warning.

Richard Dawe, aged 66, twice breached a court's anti-social order by imitating the sound of a peacock and using verbal abuse.

Since sentence was deferred on December 21 last year, there had been three more complaints against Dawe, of Hollybed Street, Castlemorton, near Malvern, but no charges were brought.

Defence counsel Antonie Muller insisted there were "great signs of improvement" and Dawe confirmed he would move his birds away from a neighbouring property and dismantle a corrugated iron fence as a gesture of goodwill.

Recorder Michael Burrows warned the pensioner that if there were further offences against an anti-social behaviour order and a restraining order, he would be jailed. He ordered Dawe to pay £100 court costs.

A jury heard last year how Dawe annoyed parish councillor Shirley Schooling by making peacock noises near her home. She tried to drown it out with a radio and vacuum cleaner. Another neighbour, Paul Clifton, gave evidence that he was herded like a sheep by Dawe's dogs, then subjected to foul abuse.

Dawe was convicted of two breaches of the court order and admitted sending a circular to neighbours complaining about their alleged behaviour.

Worcester Crown Court heard that since the conviction there had been problems over an open gate - for which he was blamed - and overhanging tree branches.

But Mr Muller said he was keen to demonstrate there was peace between Dawe and the Schoolings by moving the birds and removing the fence within three months.

Dawe and his wife only had £100 a week income from pensions and the recorder decided he should not pay an extra £250 for breaching a bind-over imposed in March last year. Dawe claimed at the trial he had been the victim of a plot to get him to leave an area, where he had lived for 60 years.

He had six previous convictions, which included wounding a neighbour with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Displaying threatening signs, causing harassment, common assault and sending malicious letters were also on his record.

He was under a five-year anti-social behaviour order when he committed the breaches.

Dawe, chairman of the Hollybed Commoners' Association, had great affection for the common and had ended a dispute with his parish council, his counsel said.