A 73-year-old tearaway brought fear into his neighbours' lives, a court was told.

Victor Causebon-Vincent was accused of threatening some of them with a medieval mace and a crowbar during a long-running dispute.

His next-door neighbour, Barbara Luxford, said: "He has threatened me and I am very frightened of him."

In a written statement, she told magistrates Causebon-Vincent threatened her with a crowbar in June.

She said: "He knocked some flowerpots off our trellis with a crowbar. When we tried to speak to him about it, he threatened me. He said he would wrap the crowbar around my neck.

"I am very scared of him and what he might do."

Eight neighbours were among 13 witnesses supporting an application for an anti-social behaviour order against Causebon-Vincent at Chichester Magistrates Court yesterday.

The court heard Causebon-Vincent was involved in a long-running dispute with his neighbours about access over his driveway to land behind their homes in Hillrise Avenue, Sompting. They won a county court battle which established their right of access but the pensioner has refused to accept it.

Neighbour Tracey White said, in a statement presented to the court, that her husband, Steve, was strimming their garden in March 2002 when she heard the pensioner shouting at him.

Mrs White said: "He was screaming abuse at Steve, telling him to get off his land. He was waving a mace inches from Steve's face. He then waved it inches from my face and said he would have me as well. I was really shaken up that he had a weapon with him."

She said a brick thrown towards her son was seen to come from the pensioner's garden.

Mrs White said that in February this year Causebon-Vincent had intimidated the family when he stood staring at the front of their house for more than an hour, making her children too scared to leave for school.

Another neighbour, John Lion, of Meadow View Road, Sompting, said: "He threatened to shoot me and to harm my wife."

Adur District Council was granted an anti-social behaviour order against Causebon-Vincent at the end of a day-long hearing.

The court heard he had been jailed twice for assaults, threatening behaviour and criminal damage after smashing up cars belonging to GPs at his doctors' surgery.

The pensioner could be jailed for up to five years if he breaches the order within the next two years. It prevents him from causing alarm, distress or harassment or inciting others to do so.

He is barred from using language which is abusive, intimidating or insulting.

The pensioner is not allowed to enter residential or private property without the consent of the owners.

He is barred from entering Adur council offices, except for public meetings or pre-arranged appointments, after the court heard he had previously threatened council staff.

Causebon-Vincent is also prevented from obstructing his neighbours' legal right of way while the order is in force.

Russell Jenkins, barrister for the council, said: "His neighbours have the right to be protected."

Selwin Shapiro, defending, had presented a letter from Causebon-Vincent's doctor, saying he was not well enough to attend the hearing.

Magistrates ruled the case should go ahead in his absence.

Mr Shapiro claimed: "I have been put in an impossible position. There is a stench of unfairness wherever you look in this case."

Mrs White said: "Because Victor is old, he thinks he can get away with threatening people and behaving in this manner."