A POP music fan who tortured his neighbours by playing the same Ronan Keating song for up to 16 hours a day has been evicted from his Bolton home.

Francis Cullen heaped misery on fellow residents of Belgrave Gardens in Halliwell by blasting out "If Tomorrow Never Comes" until 3am.

He would also drink heavily and then trash his own house.

Susan Jacques, who lives next door, said: "He used to start playing it at 11am on a Sunday morning and wouldn't stop until 3am on the Monday. The walls were vibrating and it kept me awake. I had quite liked the song until then.

"Only a week after he moved in, he threw a TV and a microwave through his own kitchen window.

"We had diary sheets and I lost count of the number of complaints we made."

Cullen moved into the house in June 2004. Until recently, he shared the house with his teenaged son.

He was evicted after staff from Bolton at Home secured permission from the courts and arrived with police backup to board up the property last Friday.

Ms Jacques believes her 76-year-old partner, Wilfred Thompson, who has suffered three strokes in the time after Mr Cullen moved into the house in June 2004, has suffered ill health because of the noise.

"I honestly believe Mr Cullen's behaviour may have caused his strokes," she said. "Even the doctor said all the stress wouldn't have helped.

"I didn't think it was ever going to come to an end but I'm really pleased he has been evicted and I hope they get a decent tenant in now so we can have some peace and quiet."

A Bolton At Home spokesman said Mr Cullen had received repeated warnings to improve his behaviour and had declined an offer of alcohol counselling.

The organisation, which runs Bolton's 18,769 council houses, was awarded possession of the property by a judge at Bolton County Court on March 14. Cullen did not attend the hearing.

The Ronan Keating fan is not the first person to be evicted by Bolton at Home.

Earlier this year Anthony Ashburn, who threatened to blow up his neighbours' homes, was thrown out. The 39-year-old, from Booth Road in Little Lever, was evicted after six neighbours gave evidence against him.

And last year, Denise Gleave was evicted after causing 12 years of misery to neighbours. The mother-of-five, aged 42, was served with a warrant to leave her home in The Crescent, Westhoughton, when neighbours were driven to despair by her family's anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Noel Spencer, chairman of Bolton At Home, said: "We will not tolerate anti-social behaviour of any kind. We are also committed to support residents who have suffered from anti-social behaviour.

"More witnesses coming forward will allow us to tackle the offenders more effectively."