A Bradford couple branded the "neighbours from hell" have failed in their bid to overturn an anti-social behaviour order against them.

And after being told that Mohammed Usman and his wife Zeenat were thinking about moving to Leeds, a judge yesterday extended the order to cover the whole of West Yorkshire.

Bradford Crown Court heard how 60-year-old Usman, pictured, tormented his neighbours over a period of many months by verbally abusing them, taking video pictures of them and appearing naked at the window of his home in Challis Grove, West Bowling.

He also fitted security lights which shone into a house across the road and subjected an education welfare officer to a "tirade of abuse".

In April this year, an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) was granted by district judge David Thomas, sitting at the city's magistrates court.

He said then there was "overwhelming and convincing evidence" of what went on in the street and that Usman's wife had supported him in his behaviour.

The couple appealed against that decision and during the hearing at the Crown Court Mr Usman repeated allegations against his neighbours and a local police officer. He claimed he and his wife were the innocent victims of a conspiracy between the officer and Bradford Council which had sought the ASBO.

Turning down the appeal, Judge Kerry Macgill said he totally rejected Usman's "ridiculous" and "idiotic" claim. The judge, who was sitting with two magistrates, said they had endured three-and-a-half days of "unmitigated drivel and nonsense" from Usman, who was "prepared to make unfounded allegations without the slightest shred of evidence".

He told Usman: "We reject totally and utterly the ridiculous allegations - they are idiotic in the extreme. We have endured questions being put in a way that just beggars belief. You have subjected them to the suggestion of every kind of indiscretion and dishonesty."

Feelings had run high in the area and regrettably some people had attacked the Usmans' property.

"We do not in any way condone that activity - we deplore taking the law into one's own hands - but we can understand the sense of frustration they felt," said Judge Macgill. "We don't want any victors or any losers in Challis Grove - we want peace to reign."

The Usmans were ordered to pay the £6,773 costs of the appeal hearing.