A MOTHER of seven forced her way into a neighbour's house and punched her in the face, Swindon magistrates heard.

Clare Hazle, 32, who is pregnant with her eighth child, was found guilty in her absence when she failed to turn up to a hearing on August 3 on charges of common assault and harassment. Yesterday she admitted failing to surrender to the court.

Prosecutor Colin Meek said the neighbour found an offensive message written in chalk on the pavement in Alanbrooke Crescent where they both lived, with an arrow pointing to her house. She challenged Hazle about it and there was a row, after which the neighbour went home. Later the defendant went round, forced her way through the front door and punched her neighbour in the face.

Stephen Weighell, defending, said it was part of an on-going dispute, during which the neighbour had put up CCTV cameras directed at Hazle's house. He said Hazle was 16-weeks into her latest pregnancy and children aged 13, 10, 6, 5, 3, 18 months and six months to care for at home.

The bench called for pre-sentence reports and adjourned the case until September 16, granting conditional bail.