A WOMAN’s “obsession” with a bitter neighbourhood planning dispute led her to forge letters which were accepted as genuine by a local government ombudsman.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Alison Parker maintained her deceit for years until her conviction for fraud at a recent trial.

The dispute, which goes back to autumn 2010, centred on objections to barn buildings at Mill House Farm in the small community of Windmill, near Bishop Auckland, which prompted a complaint to the local government ombudsman about the actions of Durham County Council.

Parker, 49, sent letters to the former Teesdale District Council objecting to planning permission and purporting to be from a local parish council, which formed the basis of a report by the ombudsman into possible maladministration.

Peter Makepeace, prosecuting, said the forgery included a degree of sophistication and was tantamount to perverting the course of justice.

He said: “She persisted with the lie that these were genuine documents and her behaviour threw suspicion on a large number of people.

“Planning officers were investigated and people working for the parish council came under suspicion.”

Mr Makepeace said the ombudsman had accepted at face value the documents and consequently the entire integrity of the report that was produced was undermined.

Rod Hunt, mitigating, said some parishioners felt their complaints about nuisance from the farm site were not being heard.

He said Parker’s offending originated from “frustration not avarice”.

Mr Hunt said the former fire brigade worker, who was found guilty at her trial of two counts of using a false instrument with intent to commit fraud, was a good employee who had helped many others and the courts would not see her again.

He added: “With goodwill on both sides there is no reason why life cannot return to normal in what is a delightful community.”

Recorder David Dobbin said: “Recommendations that they [the local government ombudsman] make carry heavy persuasive authority and to put a false document before such a body is a very serious matter.”

He said Parker had become obsessed with the whole planning process and believed “things were going wrong”.

The Recorder said Parker’s offences passed the custodial threshold, but he could suspend a nine month prison sentence on her for 18 months because of the length of time that had passed. She would pay £3,000 prosecution costs.

Outside of court, farm owner Janet Sewell, who lives just yards away from Parker, said she had been subjected to sustained harassment by the defendant and claimed thousands of pounds of public money had been wasted.

She said: “She is a very deceitful and malicious woman who has shown no remorse or regret or shame.”

Colette Longbottom, head of legal and democratic service sat Durham County Council, said: "We requested the police investigate these letters given their importance in this complex case and we will now consider the implications of the court outcome in dealing with issues in the village and the ombudsman's report.”