An 81-year-old woman accused of being racist to her neighbours has died days before she was to be taken to court.

Pensioner Heather Mora, of Hythe Crescent, Seaford, was listed to appear at Lewes Magistrates Court charged with racially aggravated harassment on Thursday.

She was accused of leading a campaign of racial abuse towards neighbours living in the flat above her.

Mrs Mora was also alleged to have harassed Lewes District Council staff.

On one occasion she telephoned a council officer 54 times in one day.

A spokesman for Lewes District Council said: "The position of the district council was that it was in the process of considering taking action against her.

"Obviously we have not taken any action against her."

Sgt Dave Kemp, of Sussex Police, said: "She died about ten days ago and as soon as we were informed of her death by her son we notified the criminal justice unit and the various witnesses.

"The victims were subjected to harassment over a long period of time and there were quite a few of them.

"We took the action not withstanding the fact that she was an older lady."

One neighbour in the same block of flats said he had always got on with Ms Mora and that he "didn't have a problem with her".

He did admit that she did not get on with a couple who lived above her.

Ms Mora's alleged behaviour echoes a similar case in South Wales last month.

Dorothy Evans, 81, was jailed for six months at Cardiff Crown Court for making her neighbours' lives "absolute hell" between January and June 2006.

In October last year Charmain McCormack, 62, was given an antisocial behaviour order after terrorising neighboiurs in Grange Road, Hove.

She was given the order by Brighton magistrates following complaints from neighbours and shopkeepers in Hove dating back over nine years.