A man dubbed the "neighbour from hell" faces a return to jail after terrorising elderly residents in his street for 17 years.

Gordon Clarke was accused of making life a misery for neighbours in Black Dog Walk, Crawley, with his excessive noise, intimidation and abusive language.

Father-of-five Clarke, 43, was yesterday found guilty of breaking an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) by shouting at and intimidating 66-year-old neighbour Graham Sanger.

The ASBO bans him from doing anything to alarm or distress his neighbours.

Complaints about Clarke's conduct have made the case one of the longest-running neighbourhood disputes in Britain.

He has been jailed twice before for antisocial behaviour.

However, neighbours were dismayed when a Hove Crown Court jury also cleared him yesterday of ten charges of making intrusive noise by banging his garage door and revving his car engine.

They said the ASBO had done little to restrain Clarke's behaviour since it was imposed by a court in November 2001.

Police had compiled a catalogue of complaints against Clarke and his teenage son Aaron, alleging abusive language, obscene gestures and incessant noise.

Neighbours said they had suffered terribly ever since the Clarke family moved to the street in 1985.

The judge, Recorder Kenneth Parker QC, adjourned sentencing Clarke until May 1.

He warned him he was facing "the real possibility of a significant custodial sentence".