A man has been banned from keeping animals for two years after a court heard how the constant barking of his 27 dogs had made the lives of his neighbours “unbearable”.

Dennis Haycox was also given a Criminal Anti-Social Behaviour Order after magistrates heard how the barking and howling of the dogs had kept his neighbours in Billingsley, near Bridgnorth awake.

The court heard how the noise had “devastated” the lives of residents in Lincoln Fields, with many suffering from sleep deprivation.

The 68-year-old, also of Lincoln Fields, had denied breaching a noise abatement notice on May 5, but magistrates found him guilty following a trial at the court yesterday.

They also fined him £1,000 and ordered him to pay £4,000 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

They also ordered the forfeiture of the dogs, which will now be re-homed. The dogs had previously been seized by Shropshire Council and had been kept in their kennels until yesterday’s verdict was reached.

Unbearable

Chris Moss, prosecuting, told the court that Haycox allowed his dogs to bark in the early hours of the morning, depriving residents of sleep.

He said: “Residents who were regularly being woken up were given noise diary sheets to record when the noise of the dogs’ howling and barking was at its worst.

“The sheets show that four households who completed the diary were awoken at 4am on May 5 by the barking.

“The noise has made life for residents unbearable and they were suffering from sleep deprivation.”

Haycox, representing himself, said he was in hospital for 10 days on his “death bed” and had only returned home days before May 5 and was on heavy medication.

As he left the court, he said he was planning to appeal the decision.

Neighbour Peter Ravenhill, of Lincoln Fields, told the court:”It has been complete devastation for me and my wife.

“We have had to leave our marital bedroom of 40 years and relocate to single bedrooms at the front of the house.”

By Andrew Morris