A FORMER Desert Rat has to sell his home after being told he must foot a long-standing £50,000 legal bill within the next two months.

Kenneth Cox, 82, of Brook Cottage, The Bont, Cross Ash, said he feels suicidal after Cardiff county court district judge John Regan told him he must pay the costs he incurred during a bitter boundary dispute.

The row broke out over the siting of a fence with his neighbours, John Wide and his partner, Helen Williams, in October 2003.

Mr Cox, who was an acting sergeant in the army service corps driving ambulances in North Africa, Italy and Germany during the Second World War, owes his neighbours £42,000 in costs, and the solicitor who represented him, around £8,000. He says he now has no choice but to sell his home for the last 50 years.

In a separate court case - this time in the criminal courts - Mr Cox was convicted of harassing Mr Wide at Abergavenny magistrates court in September 2004.

He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and had a restraining order imposed on him after the court heard he had thrown rocks and a liquid at Mr Wide.

The restraining order prevents Mr Cox from entering his neighbours' property, throwing any materials onto the property, and he must not contact, harass or otherwise interfere with Mr Wide.

Mr Cox, who denied the offence, said yesterday that once more justice had not been served.

"I'm not very happy at all," said Mr Cox, who was accompanied by a representative of Monmouth Citizens' Advice Bureau at the county court hearing.

"I intended to live in the house until I die and then leave it to my son, and now they have destroyed my wish.

"I'm having suicidal feelings because I just want it all to end."

He added: "I fought for my country when I was 17 because I lied about my age, and now I'm losing everything I've got."

After the hearing, Mr Wide said he would be "cock-a-hoop" if his neighbour had to move away.

His partner, Helen Williams, said: "We just want our money."