A NEWPORT man was evicted from his council flat yesterday after subjecting neighbours to years of threats and abuse.

A judge at Newport county court decided the majority of nearly 30 complaints against Roy Webb, 46, of Hillview, Gaer Road, had been proved.

Webb was said to have alcohol problems which affected his behaviour, with most of the incidents occurring while he was under the influence. Newport city council brought the application to evict Webb from his eighth-floor flat after residents had to be moved out of the block of flats for their own safety, it was said.

From August 2003, Webb verbally abused, threatened and assaulted other tenants, leaving many "terrified" of him.

On separate occasions he threw food and bleach at other residents' doors, kicked one resident in the backside, wrote letters to others calling them "lying scum" and played loud music.

Police also cautioned him after he cut the wires of CCTV cameras in the block.

District judge Alfred Weaver told him to move out within 28 days. He said: "He is capable of decent behaviour, according to written character references submitted to the court.

"But other residents, including elderly women, are generally afraid of him." Barrister for the council, Ian Wightwick, said: "The incidents show a remarkable link to alcohol.

"This is not about his character but his behaviour, particularly when the worse for drink. Over the course of the last few years he has been violent and abusive, and has been very careful to avoid being seen doing things such as throwing cans of beans at doors and so avoid prosecution." He added: "These people live in terror of him.

"It may be that a serious restriction on his liberty is what Mr Webb needs to realise what an effect alcohol is having on his life and on the lives of those around him."

Angharad Davies, defending, said many of the accusations had been fabricated.

She said: "Those people have been making his life miserable for the past three years. They are presuming that every single incident where there's a problem in the flats is going to be him.

"He has repeatedly pointed out he has not been prosecuted for any of these incidents because there is not the evidence to support it."

Councillor Debbie Wilcox, who represents the Gaer ward, said after the hearing that new powers allowed authorities to get tough with unruly residents.

She said: "I firmly believe council and private tenants have the right to live in a decent area free from the scourge of anti-social behaviour. We don't want people terrorising residents."