A man who carried out a revolting hate campaign against a family living near him has been ordered to carry out unpaid work and has been banned from going near them for two years.

Damian Ayles’s prolonged campaign against the family only came to an end when they installed CCTV at their home to catch him.

Ayles, 23, defecated on his victims’ doorstep on several occasions and then pushed the mess through their letterbox.

Warning: Graphic images below

He also smeared his excrement over the family’s cars in the driveway in efforts to upset them.

Ayles, of Beechings Way, Twydall, was caught out the fourth time he performed the vile act when the homeowner handed over video footage to the police and a sample was taken of his faeces which matched his DNA.

He was arrested and charged with harassment without violence, and appeared before magistrates in Medway in February where he pleaded guilty to the offence.

His sentencing was adjourned until this week when magistrates were told the full horror of the family’s nightmare, which started in April last year, when they found faeces on their doorstep early one morning.

At the time the matter was not reported to the police, and the faeces was cleared up by the homeowners.

Debbie Jones, prosecuting, told the court the family’s nightmare started again in September when they woke again to find more poo on their doorstep.

In total, Ayles left them three foul deposits on September 18, 19 and 29 and Ayles could clearly be seen on the CCTV footage.

Ms Jones added: “The defendant can be seen at 3.30am on September 29 pulling down his trousers, moving to the squat position and having a poo.

“He then wipes himself and puts it (the dirty tissue) in the letterbox and smears some of the faeces on their vehicle.”

Mrs Jones also told the court when Ayles was arrested and officers showed him the footage of his actions he was too embarrassed to watch it.

However, he did accept he had carried out the appalling deeds.

The footage was also played to magistrates during the hearing and Ayles could not look at the screen and held his hand over his mouth while it was played and looked down at the floor.

His mother who was sitting in the public gallery to support him, also couldn’t watch the footage.

The court also heard the incidents had a huge impact on the family, so much so they didn’t feel safe in their home and were unable to sleep properly at night.

Their ordeal had left them with anxiety and stress and they were tormented as to why Ayles would want to hurt them in such a way.

Wayne Crowhurst, defending, explained to the court that Ayles had autism and despite being 23 had the mental age of a 13-year-old.

Mr Crowhurst added: “He should not have done what he did and this is the end of the matter now, he wants to move on.”

“He should not have done what he did and this is the end of the matter now, he wants to move on" - Wayne Crowhurst, defending

Mandy Samrai , chairman of the bench, said: “This was a very serious matter.”

Ayles was placed on a 12-month community order which will involve him carrying out 100 hours of unpaid work.

A two-year restraining order was also placed on him preventing him from going near the family and the order also bans him from entering the road they live in.

Ayles was also ordered to pay the family £350 in compensation and £85 court costs.

Speaking after sentencing, a spokesman for the family, said: “I just hope that the community service (unpaid work) is cleaning up dog poo from children’s playing parks.”