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

A family in a rural Scottish village says they are living in fear due to persistent harassment from a neighbour with a history of violence and over 140 criminal convictions. Chris and Amy Masterson claim their neighbour, Peter Ferguson, has been a source of constant abuse for more than a year.

Despite 10 convictions for abusive or antisocial behavior since last year, Ferguson remains in his council-owned property. The Mastersons have repeatedly asked South Lanarkshire Council to evict him, but to no avail.

"It's like a ticking time bomb," Chris, 46, told the BBC, expressing the family's anxiety about future incidents.

South Lanarkshire Council, Ferguson's landlord, stated that they are pursuing legal action and awaiting a court hearing for eviction proceedings.

The Mastersons have lived in their home in Forth since 2016 with their 12-year-old daughter and 24-year-old son. Ferguson, 47, moved across the street four years ago. His extensive criminal record includes convictions for assault, robbery, housebreaking, and weapons offenses.

Relations between Ferguson and the Mastersons deteriorated in 2024, leading to a campaign of harassment. Ferguson was subsequently issued an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) and a non-harassment order.

The couple described how they barricaded their front door each night for safety. Chris, who uses a walking stick due to a stroke, demonstrated the effort required to block the entrance.

"The front door would have ladders, a suitcase, a washing pole thing, and the letterbox taped up," Amy, 42, explained. "Chris's other walking stick would be placed across that." They also used a tumble dryer to block the back door. Until recently, they did this nightly.

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

The abuse has escalated since last summer, involving police intervention. Despite the multiple convictions, Ferguson remains a tenant.

"He's a bully," Chris stated. "And I get frustrated because I feel like I can't stick up for my family. It's no way to live."

Ferguson's criminal history dates back to the 1990s and includes sentences for assault, robbery, car thefts, break-ins, drugs offenses, and driving bans. He has served a total of 25 years in prison and youth detention facilities.

The feud began when Ferguson started verbally abusing Amy on the street. "He was calling me all sorts of names," she recalled. The abuse continued, escalating to include their visitors.

The Mastersons say the abuse intensified after they contacted the police and installed security cameras. Footage shows Ferguson ringing their doorbell in the early hours and verbally abusing Amy from his garden. After one such incident at 1:30 AM, their car was vandalized. While the culprit was never identified, the family believes Ferguson was involved.

Since July of last year, Ferguson has been convicted seven times for breaching his ASBO and three times for threatening and abusive behavior, including a threat to petrol bomb their car. Chris, due to his mobility issues, slept in the living room as a precaution.

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

The couple has been cited 18 times in court cases involving their neighbour's conduct. They have been unable to plan holidays and their family avoids visiting due to the abuse.

The Mastersons have considered selling their home, but a mortgage advisor warned that disclosing the ASBO would make it difficult to sell or result in a significant financial loss. While eviction proceedings are ongoing, they feel communication from the council has diminished.

"They only tell you when the next hearing is," Amy said. "There's no support for us trying to do the right thing for our safety and wellbeing and our family's."

The Mastersons contacted the BBC's 'Your Voice, Your BBC' as a last resort, feeling let down by the courts and South Lanarkshire Council. The BBC approached Ferguson for comment, but he refused to speak, only shouting "Go." A neighbour defended Ferguson, claiming the Mastersons had called the police over 100 times and were making his life miserable, stating, "There are two sides to the story."

A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council stated: "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 that they are actively pursuing legal action and awaiting the court hearing for eviction proceedings.