Court order bans angry beekeepers from abusing next door neighbours

A NEIGHBOURHOOD row over a swarm of angry bees has led to a gay couple being made the subject of a court order banning them from "violence or threatening conduct".

Beekeeper David Dickman and his partner William Young have been banned from abusing neighbours Tony Dyson and Nessa McHugh and their children.

A sheriff granted the interdict against Dickman and Young and also banned them from entering their next door neighbours' garden in the latest stage of a bitter neighbourhood battle.

The interim order was granted at Perth Sheriff Court, where Dickman and Young have already been convicted of carrying out a savage attack on Mr Dyson.

The interdict forbids the couple from abusing Mr Dyson and Ms McHugh and their children "by means of violence or threatening conduct".

They were also banned from entering the garden at their next door neighbours' home at Lyndale, Woodmarch, Kinnesswood.

The dispute was sparked by Dickman's swarm of black bees – known to be an angry breed – attacking Mr Dyson and his family.

The court granted the "annoying creatures petition" in favour of Mr Dyson, who described how he had been stung on numerous occasions.

"He first acquired bees in 2007," Mr Dyson said. "Soon after we began to get attacked and stung. This happened quite regularly.

"My son was stung round the face and neck. My wife was attacked by a crowd of bees. Mr Dickman told me that was comical."

Mr Dyson yesterday declined to comment on the terms of the interdict.