A NEIGHBOURHOOD feud ended in a struggle after a householder entered his neighbour's home and threatened violence, a court was told yesterday.

Keith Cooper, 46, of Marrick Avenue, Darlington, entered the home of his neighbour, David Pigg, through the back door and threatened him with an ornamental walking stick.

South Durham Magistrates court, sitting in Darlington, heard the incident was the result of a two-year-old dispute between the neighbours.

Simon Crowder, prosecuting, said the incident happened in the early afternoon of March 15.

He said: "Mr Pigg heard a loud bang from the back door and saw the defendant coming into the house with a large ornamental walking stick.

"He was waving that around at Mr Pigg, he was screaming and shouting. He shouted he 'wanted the scum out of the street'.

"Mr Pigg was under the impression that he was drunk.

"He was very aggressive towards him and was waving the stick in his face."

Mr Crowder said Mr Pigg's wife, Carol, went to phone the police and a struggle broke out between Mr Pigg and Cooper.

Mr Pigg eventually managed to over-power Cooper and sat on top of him until the police arrived.

The Piggs' back door was damaged during the incident.

Cooper then put up a struggle when police officers tried to put him into a police van.

Mr Crowder said: "He was struggling and making it difficult for the officers to place him in the van.

"He made their jobs very difficult to get him out of the area."

Chris Bunting, defending, said he would speak on behalf of Cooper once pre-sentence reports had been completed.

Cooper pleaded guilty to using or threatening violence towards another.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of resisting arrest.

A guilty plea was also entered by Cooper on a charge of driving with excess alcohol on April 6.

The court heard that he had nearly been in collision with a pedestrian at Cockerton Green in the town.

The pedestrian went to speak to Cooper and realised that he was drunk.

He removed the keys from the car to prevent Cooper from being able to drive off, and the police were called.

The case was adjourned for sentencing on May 13.