A NEIGHBOUR from hell who harassed and stalked a retired policewoman by posing naked has now vowed not to return to his North Yorkshire home.

For nine years Kenneth Harold Ward, now 70, hounded close neighbour Mandy Dunford in Chop Gate, on the North York Moors.

The gun fanatic would expose himself and perform sex acts on almost daily basis. On other occasions she would find him outside the window of her isolated smallholding in army fatigues and shouldering a rifle.

In 2011, he was convicted of harassment, exposure and - after a weapons find at his house - firearms offences.

He served a five-year term and, on release last year, was subject to a court order banning him from going within a five-mile radius of his dilapidated home.

Ward was due to appeal the order but, after a last-minute change of heart, has now vowed not to return, the Appeal Court heard.

However, his electronic tag will no longer be reviewed after ten years and is instead to be removed next summer – a move believed to have caused Mrs Dunford a great deal of alarm.

Despite assurances he will stay away, the absence of a tag means he would no longer trigger an emergency police response if he ventures near Chop Gate.

His barrister Michael Cahill said: “At about 4.30pm on Friday, Mr Ward informed me he no longer wishes to return to Chop Gate.

“He effectively cannot afford now the property in Chop Gate. He is going to surrender the tenancy on the cottage.

“The cottage is effectively now in ruin, having been left there for five years.”

Last year, Teesside Crown Court heard Ward, then of Hurst Cottage, repeatedly exposed himself over several years.

When police went to investigate, they found military memorabilia, including firearms unlawfully held.

His victim, ex-police officer Mrs Dunford, campaigned for years to prevent him returning home when finally released.

She succeeded last summer when, on the eve of his release, a sexual offences prevention order was varied to include the five-mile exclusion zone.

But after a “wealthy” friend offered to house him at Faldingworth Base in Lincolnshire, Ward dropped that part of his appeal.

The friend had also offered to store Ward’s collection of aircraft memorabilia in hangers at his property, said Mr Cahill.

“He has come to the realisation that, for both parties, it is best if there’s some distance between each other,” his barrister said.

After dropping his appeal against the exclusion zone, Ward challenged only the length of the time he will have to wear an electronic tag.

It had been made for up to 10 years, to be followed by review, but Lord Justice Davis, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb and Judge Julian Goose QC cut it to two years.