A MAN who pestered his ex-wife for 14 months has been ordered to leave her alone - or pay £2,000.

Nigel Robin Harris had the condition imposed as part of a bind over by Blackburn magistrates after the prosecution agreed to drop a charge of harassment.

The court was told that Claire Harris was "extremely anxious" to be given some kind of protection by the court after 14 months of "acrimony" following the marital break-down.

Harrison, 44, of The Meadows, Billington, agreed to be bound over to keep the peace, especially towards Claire Harris, in £2,000 for two years. He had pleaded not guilty to harassment.

??? Boocock, prosecuting, said the break- down of the marriage of almost 20 years had been extremely acrimonious.

They broke up in August 2006 when Harris suggested his wife was having an affair, the court was told.

"That fuelled the acrimony," said Miss Boocock, who detailed an incident where Harris had demanded to see his wife's mobile phone and, when she refused, grabbed her by the wrists to try and force it out of her hand.

"He also threatened to cut up all her clothes if she didn't hand over the phone and went as far as producing a pair of scissors and removing some garments from her wardrobe," said Miss Boocock. "On another occasion he threatened to smash her face in every time he saw her."

Andrew Church-Taylor, defending, said there were two sides to every story and Harris didn't accept everything his wife had said.

"My client says he wants to put the bitterness behind him now and sort things out," said Mr Church-Taylor.