Couple breathe sigh of relief as 'abusive' neighbour evicted

A nuisance neighbour exposed by the BBC as having a string of convictions has been evicted, the landlord has confirmed.

Peter Ferguson, 48, was accused of a campaign of harassment against a vulnerable neighbour.

Last December, BBC Scotland News reported how Chris and Amy Masterson felt beleaguered by a year of "abuse and intimidation" in their home in Forth.

This week South Lanarkshire Council, who act as Ferguson's landlord, confirmed he has been evicted.

Chris, 46, told BBC Scotland: "It's a weight off our shoulders. I would do cartwheels if I could."

The Mastersons bought their home in the rural village of Forth in 2016 several years before Ferguson moved across the street in the small cul-de-sac.

The couple said they had endured taunts and threats by Ferguson since 2024.

It led to the Mastersons installing cameras to record the abuse, as well as being in frequent contact with the council and the police.

Ferguson was given a non-harassment order as well as an antisocial behaviour order (Asbo).

Among his convictions, which span three decades, there were seven breaches of his Asbo, the BBC learned in December.

The couple previously shared video footage of Ferguson ringing their doorbell in the middle of the night, as well as their neighbour verbally abusing them outside their home.

Their car had also been vandalised, they believed, by acquaintances of Ferguson.

At the time, the Mastersons described the ordeal as a "nightmare" and explained they had devised "escape plans" to leave their home in the event of an arson attack.

Ferguson was finally kicked out of the property earlier this month following a lengthy eviction process.

Speaking in their front garden, Chris - who has a prosthetic leg and has suffered from a stroke - said: "Nobody should go through what we went through.

"When he was in the street, we couldn't have sat outside without getting abused.

"We would get shouts and threats so it has been a massive weight off everybody's shoulders."

South Lanarkshire Council said it had taken back Ferguson's flat in mid-April.

A spokesperson said: "Eviction proceedings were concluded at Lanark Sheriff Court on 23 February 2026, and the tenancy was subsequently recovered by the council on an agreed date.

"An anti-social behaviour order granted in relation to the former tenant remains in place."