LOCAL?residents say there is 'no excuse' for the wanton vandalism which has left an Abergavenny guest house emblazoned with the words 'neighbours from hell' along its 30 foot length.

The Black Lion Guest House in Hereford Road was targeted during the early hours of Thursday morning with the graffiti slogan daubed along the side of the building in Priory Road and along its rear and opposite side.

A LandRover and a brand new Mercedes were also covered with black paint and paint stripper during the same incident.

Police were alerted to the attack at 5.39am on December 1, by an officer driving past the guest house and a neighbour who was leaving for work.

Mike and Hazel Gray have run the guest house for the past five years after taking over the established Ivy Villa Guest House, but declined to talk about the incident and suggested that the "Chronicle talks to the neighbouring residents who have been holding regular meetings in the street since Thursday morning."

Over the years the couple have allegedly upset neighbours over various planning issues, parking problems, security lighting, CCTV cameras and most recently a barking dog.

But a local councillor does not think that the graffiti slogan dubbing them 'neighbours from hell' is the work of a local resident.

Councillor Doug Edwards said: "Although the neighbours surrounding this guest house have a number of ongoing issues with its owners, I am confident that none of them would take the law into their own hands in this way.

"Over the years we have used the correct procedural channels in which to voice any complaints. Earlier last week, before the graffiti incident, residents contacted me over the problems of a dog from The Black Lion Guest House which was apparently barking all night long. I informed the environmental health department who are now looking into the complaint."

David Williams, a member of the area's Neighbourhood Watch said that guest house is in a quiet residential area of Abergavenny.

"However, there has been a lot of tension in this part of town, mainly because we live on narrow streets which inevitably means we have parking issues,"?he added.

"But there is no excuse for this wanton vandalism to the wall of the guest house. I have spoken with the proprietors and offered my sympathies and said this was a disgrace. I have also spoken to most of the residents and we can't believe this vandalism has happened in this way.

"Neighbours readily admit they may have had problems with the proprietors, but they don't deserve to have vandalism daubed on three sides of the building - yet alone the additional damage to their vehicles which were sprayed with black paint and paint removing chemicals.

"I am disappointed by the police's response as we've been implicated by the slogan yet we are kept in the dark as to what's happening."

A spokesman for Abergavenny police said that inquires were still on going and that no anti-social complaints had been received from any neighbours living near to the guest house and added that some house to house inquires had been carried out in the area. The police have obtained CCTV footage from the guest house's security system, which was being examined for evidence.

According to the law, anybody who destroys or damages property is guilty of a criminal offence, punishable by prison sentence of up to ten years. If someone is found to be carrying anything that they intend to use to vandalise property they are liable for the same sentence. Under the Criminal Damage Act 1971, offenders can also be fined up to £5,000 where criminal damage in excess of £5,000 has been committed.

On Monday men from the Youth Offending Team and the Probation Service were carrying out their community service orders after being given the task of cleaning the wall by the Community Safety Partnership.