A COUNCIL has been accused of `an abuse of power of nightmarish proportions' after it took an Asbo out against a woman without checking whether the allegations against her were true.

The local authority at Manchester - nicknamed the Asbo capital of Britain - was told to review procedures and to pay the woman £2,000 compensation.

The Local Government Ombudsman ruled it was guilty of maladministration and `considerable injustice' against her.

The case began in 2004 when a Miss A complained that a Mrs X had verbally abused and intimidated her, played loud music, threatened violence and made abusive gestures.

Miss A filled in diaries of alleged incidents which she sent to the council, saying it had caused health problems and left her in need of counselling.

But instead of telling Mrs X of the complaints and giving her the chance to defend herself, the council secured an interim Asbo in December, 2004 - only informing her of the court case days beforehand.

According to Mrs X, who had lived in the same street for 30 years and had more than 20 letters saying she was the perfect neighbour, the complaint and diary of incidents was a fabrication. Her assertion was borne out when the council withdrew the Abso in 2005.

Mrs X told the Ombudsman the complaints had been fabricated because Miss A's partner had sent her 16-year-old daughter inappropriate letters and she had tackled him about it.

The report by Ombudsman Jerry White said the council's failure to follow its own procedures was maladministration.

It said: "This was an abuse of power of nightmarish proportions. It should never be allowed to happen again."

Manchester's housing director Deborah McLaughlin said the council offered its `deepest apologies' to Mrs X.