'Neighbour with 140 convictions has harassed us for more than a year'

A vulnerable family say they fear for their safety after facing a campaign of harassment from a violent neighbour with more than 140 criminal convictions.

Since last year, Chris and Amy Masterson's neighbour Peter Ferguson has been convicted 10 times over abusive or antisocial behaviour but he remains in his council property, despite their pleas to have him evicted.

Chris, 46, told the BBC: "It's just like a ticking time bomb. We don't know when he's going to kick off next."

Ferguson's landlord - South Lanarkshire Council - said it had been actively pursuing legal action and was currently waiting for eviction proceedings to be heard in court.

The Mastersons bought their home in the rural village of Forth in 2016 and live there with their 12-year-old daughter and 24-year-old son.

Ferguson, who has previous convictions for assault and robbery, housebreaking and weapons offences, moved across the street in the small cul-de-sac four years ago.

It wasn't until 2024 that relations soured between him and the couple, leading to a campaign of harassment which resulted in Ferguson being issued with an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) as well as a non-harassment order.

Standing in the small hallway of their home, the Mastertons described how they would barricade the front door each night for their safety.

Chris, who has a prosthetic leg, uses a walking stick after a stroke left him with limited movement on his left side.

He demonstrated how blocking the door takes some effort.

"The front door would have ladders, a suitcase, a washing pole thing, and the letterbox taped up, just in case anybody could put something through it," his wife Amy, 42, said.

"Chris's other walking stick would be placed across that."

A tumble dryer was used to block the back door.

They say that, until recently, they would do this every night.

Amy adds: "It's not really good fire regulation, but it was the only way we could feel safe."

Since the abuse started last summer, it has escalated to police involvement.

Despite numerous criminal convictions for his conduct since, Ferguson remains a tenant in his council home.

"He's a bully," said Chris.

"And I get frustrated because I feel like I can't stick up for my family. It's no way to live."

Before he moved to the street, 47-year-old Ferguson had been a regular in the criminal justice system, with convictions stretching back to the 1990s.

His record includes sentences for assault and robbery, numerous car thefts and break-ins, drugs offences and driving bans.

Across his criminal career, courts have imposed prison sentences and periods in youth detention facilities reaching a total of 25 years.

The feud with the Mastertons began last year when Amy says Ferguson started verbally abusing her unprovoked on the street.

"He was calling me all sorts of names," she said.

"But I had words with him and thought that would be the end of it until a couple of days later he started shouting abuse at our visitors as well and it's just carried on since then."

The Mastersons say the abuse intensified after they contacted the police.

The couple installed cameras. Footage shown to the BBC depicts Ferguson ringing their door in the early hours of the morning and verbally abusing Amy from his garden across the small street.

On the morning Ferguson rang their doorbell at 01.30, their car was vandalised a short time later. The culprit was never identified but the family believe he was involved.

Eventually, Ferguson was issued with an Asbo and a non-harassment order in relation to the Mastersons but, they say, the abuse continues.

Since July last year, he has been convicted seven times of breaching his Asbo, and convicted three times for threatening and abusive behaviour.

This included a threat to petrol bomb their car.

Because of his mobility issues, Chris took to sleeping in the living room – just in case a fire started at the property.

"I was awake for nights after that, thinking of an escape plan," he said.

"I take my prosthetic leg off at night and where our car sits is right outside the door."

The couple have been cited 18 times in just over a year for court cases involving their neighbour's conduct.

"We couldn't even plan a holiday last year because every time we were in court.

"Even our family doesn't want to come and see us now because they get abused, and we don't want them to come because we're embarrassed."

The Mastersons have considered selling their home.

However, because they would have to declare their neighbour having an Asbo, a mortgage advisor told them it's either unlikely to sell or they would lose too much money.

Although eviction proceedings against Ferguson are ongoing and they have been told the process would be streamlined, they say they feel communication from the council has "dried up".

"They only tell you when the next hearing is and that's about it really," said Amy.

"There's no support for us trying to do the right thing for our safety and wellbeing and our family's."

Chris and Amy Masterson say they contacted us via the BBC's 'Your Voice' as a last resort. They feel let down by the courts and by South Lanarkshire Council, who house Ferguson.

The BBC visited Ferguson to address the comments made by the couple.

Despite seeing us approach, he closed his front door and refused to speak to us, except to shout the word: "Go."

During the visit, a neighbour defended Ferguson, pointing out the Mastersons have phoned police more than 100 times and adding that it is the couple who are making his life a misery.

"There are two sides to the story," she said.

A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council said: "We have every sympathy with anyone who suffers from anti-social behaviour and we have robust methods in place to deal with this type of behaviour."

They added: "We have been actively pursuing legal action and have no control over the court timescales or any delays. We are currently waiting for the eviction proceedings being heard at court."

If there are issues you would like to see covered, you can get in touch via BBC Your Voice.