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It should have been the end to a perfect day.

Dianna and Steve Staddon had celebrated their wedding anniversary in September last year with a trip looking at property in France.

Meanwhile neighbours Eileen and Clifford Wragg, of Brockman Crescent, Hythe, decided that as it was past 9 pm they would burn some twigs and rubbish on their land next to a Royal Military Canal.

After their celebration meal onboard the ferry, Mr and Mrs Staddon decided to sit down to watch ITV's The X Factor at their home in Dymchurch Road - and opened their French windows.

Smoke and "noxious" fumes arrived from over the canal - causing them to ring the Fire Brigade to complain.

But then they went over to the canal to remonstrate with the Wraggs.

The row led to all four people suffering injuries - including 71 year-old Mrs Wragg who was left with a broken arm.

And during a two day trial at Canterbury Crown Court, a jury - which would acquit Mrs Haddon of inflicting grievous bodily harm - heard allegations of f-word insults, obsessions with bonfires, complaints to the Environmental Agency, loud music and nicknames of "Mrs Nasty".

Mrs Wragg alleged she was attacked after the Staddons appeared out of the darkness to complain.

Mrs Staddon - who denied the attack - claimed she was the victim and had been dragged through burning embers during the bust-up - leaving her with second-degree burns to her arms.

Both husbands also received injuries.

Initially Mr Wragg was arrested after the Staddons complained - but next day police arrived to arrest Mrs Staddon for an alleged assault on her pensioner neighbour.

The jury heard claims that there had been bad blood between some of the residents in Brockman Crescent and Mrs Staddon - who they had nicknamed "Mrs Nasty" after she complained about dogs urinating on her daffodils, destruction of bulrushes in the canal...and the bonfires.

Mrs Staddon, 37, who admitted making the complaints, defiantly told the jury: "I am entitled to complain if somebody is doing something wrong."

The two women had never met before that night - but frail Mrs Wragg said she had heard loud music coming from Mrs Staddon's home along with noisy rows and expletives being exchanged..

But Mrs Staddon told the jury: "I am the victim. I feel very sorry she ended up with a broken arm but I was also hurt."

She told how she feared that Mr Wragg was going to attack her with a rake when they arrived to complain.

"He pulled me to the ground and I fell on my knees which were in the fire. He was kicking me and I curled up into a ball. I was screaming for my husband to get him off."

She then claimed she heard Mr Wragg shout at Mr Staddon: "Take the f-ing whore home."

Mrs Wragg had claimed that Mrs Staddon was the aggressor: "It was such a shock because I never thought people were like that. We were on our own land doing absolutely nothing wrong."

"Most normal people would just shut their doors because it was late at night. It happened to me. When I left my husband he was covered in blood."

The jury took just 45 minutes to find Mrs Staddon not guilty and she hugged her husband as she left court.