Those who have had the misfortune to live next door to nuisance neighbours will know how stressful and traumatic it can be when domestic peace is shattered by unthinking or even malicious individuals and families.

We are all entitled to close our doors to the outside world and take refuge in our homes and should not have to put up with excessive noise, disturbance and offensive behaviour from those who live just a dividing wall away.

The situation for the couple which lived next door to Lauren Beckham must have been horrendous by any definition of nuisance neighbour trouble – so bad was it that they took to sleeping in their cellar to get away from the expletive-ridden racist rants delivered at high volume by Beckham, some of them shockingly directed at her own children, who ranged in ages from one to 12.

Beckham has been slapped with an anti-social behaviour order which magistrates hope will curb her foul behaviour somewhat – although there have already been complaints from residents in the house where she has moved to since vacating the premises where she caused so many complaints.

This is exactly what the ASBO system is for – to restrict the deeply offensive and annoying behaviour of individuals who do not take the thoughts and feelings of their neighbours into consideration.

Such orders are not a mere “slap on the wrist”, but should be seen as a final warning and a chance for those such as Beckham to mend their ways before more serious punishments are brought to bear upon them.

Let us hope that in this case, and the many others where selfish individuals shatter the peace of their neighbours, that it does the trick.