A family’s “nightmare” over a neighbour’s noisy dogs could soon be over after the keeper of the animals was fined £1,000 in court.

Cambs Times: The Wisbech St Mary home of Antony Clark.The Wisbech St Mary home of Antony Clark. (Image: Archant)

Wisbech St Mary resident Paul Brett said it was “hopefully the beginning of the end,” after Antony Clark was convicted in absence of contravening a noise abatement notice served on him by Fenland District Council in 2011.

Cambs Times: Paul Brett who has had a long running battle with Fenland District Council over noisy dogs neighbouring his house in Mile Tree Lane, Wisbech St Mary.Paul Brett who has had a long running battle with Fenland District Council over noisy dogs neighbouring his house in Mile Tree Lane, Wisbech St Mary. (Image: Archant)

Earlier, Mr Brett had said the barking made family’s life a “living hell” and the software engineer spent almost four years logging the daily disturbances, and even wrote his own computer programme to help record the noise.

Cambs Times: Paul Brett who has had a long running battle with Fenland District Council over noisy dogs neighbouring his house in Mile Tree Lane, Wisbech St Mary.Paul Brett who has had a long running battle with Fenland District Council over noisy dogs neighbouring his house in Mile Tree Lane, Wisbech St Mary. (Image: Archant)

After the hearing at King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court, Mr Brett said: “It has definitely been a lot of effort to get us to be taken seriously. I don’t whether the barking will stop now, but hopefully it is the beginning of the end.”

Prosecutor Hannah Edwards said an abatement notice was served on Clark, of Westfield House, Mile Tree Lane, Wisbech St Mary, in August 2011, requiring him to take practical steps within 14 days to ensure the barking was not a nuisance.

The authority continued to receive complaints, leading to additional monitoring of the noise in March 2012.

A council officer visiting Mr Brett’s house in August 2012 heard barking that was “loud and intrusive”.

Clark was invited to interviews under caution in June and October last year but failed to attend. Miss Edwards added: “Generally, he has failed to engage with the council.”

Clark was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a £100 victim surcharge.

A council spokesman said: “Both before and after we served a noise abatement notice, we made repeated efforts to get him to take the necessary steps to reduce the dogs’ barking.

“He refused to co-operate with us in any way, and his failure to comply with the notice left us with no option but to take him to court.”