A father and daughter were involved in a 'prolonged and cruel campaign of harassment' which hurt those targeted and left 'a cloud of suspicion' hanging over a community, a court has heard.

For almost two years a number of people living in Melton Constable and Briston were sent a barrage of threatening messages as part of a campaign of harassment carried out by Edward Clitheroe, 71, and Sarah Clitheroe, 24.

Norwich Crown Court heard three people were directly targeted between March 2013 and November 2014 with victims having dog faeces posted through a letterbox, car tyres being drilled, rocks being thrown at properties at night and rude and offensive messages, like RIP and slag, being spray-painted on homes, cars or outside their properties.

Some of the text and Facebook messages received included phrases like 'tick-tock', 'I'm going to kill you all and the best bit is you have no idea who I am', and one victim also received an In Sympathy card at or around the time of the birth of a child.

Sentencing the pair to a total of almost five years in prison, Judge Mark Dennis said: 'Over the course of some 20 months or so a campaign of relentless and deeply hurtful harassment had played out in the neighbourhoods of Briston and Melton Constable.'

He said those targeted in the 'prolonged and cruel campaign of harassment' had done nothing wrong and were not aware of having done anything wrong.

Judge Dennis said the offences had resulted in 'considerable' hurt and distress to those specifically targeted but also affected the whole community over which a 'cloud of suspicion' hung for some time.

Sarah, of Larwood Way, Horsford, was jailed for three years after she admitted one count of stalking and two of attempting to pervert the course of justice which involved her providing false documents to the court, including medical letters.

Edward, also of Larwood Way, was jailed for 22 months after he admitted stalking.

Matthew Gowen, for Sarah, said she was not the instigator or prime mover and did not carry out any of the physical acts.

Laura Kenyon, for Edward, who has had one of his legs amputated following a car crash, said clearly threats were made but given his physical and mental condition there was no actual threat to the individuals targeted.