DEVIZES lorry driver John Kyle assaulted his neighbour after problems came to a head earlier this month, magistrates heard on Tuesday.

Kyle, 39, who lives in a flat above The Brittox, kicked in the neighbour's door and hit him in the mouth.

But he said he had put up with months of provocation. He pleaded guilty to using violence to enter premises, criminal damage and two counts of common assault.

Keith Ballinger, prosecuting, said Kyle had remonstrated with a child of the neighbour's friends. A shouting match ensued. Kyle then kicked open the door and began hitting the neighbour. A man tried to pull Kyle away and was punched in the chest and bitten and suffered an angina attack.

Michael Jeary, defending, said Kyle had claimed he was living next to the neighbour from hell. There was loud music and noisy parties and he said he could smell drugs.

On the day of the assault, the neighbour had been hanging out of the window shouting to children in the street who, alleged Kyle, regularly came up to the neighbour's flat to drink alcohol.

The bench adjourned the case until October 24 for a pre-sentence report.