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VIDEO Leeds Dolly Parton fan evicted for loud music
SHE'S been evicted from her home - but Dolly Parton fan Diane Duffin was today still singing her heroine's songs.
As council officials this morning arrived to check and seal up Ms Duffin's Armley home, the mum-of-four, her partner Wayne Wonnacott and a group of friends struck up a chorus of 9 to 5.
Ms Duffin had failed to overturn an order imposed on her after she played loud music, including a string of Dolly's hits, at all hours of the day and night.
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Joanne Kempston, who lived in the semi-detached house attached to Ms Duffin's Heights Drive home, complained that noise had made her life hell.
Leeds County Court had ruled that Ms Duffin would be evicted today, but she told the Yorkshire Evening Post she had left over the weekend.
"I didn't want to give them the satisfaction," she said. "Family and friends are putting us up until we can get sorted out."
Ms Duffin said that the only complaints about her lifestyle had come from Ms Kempston.
Describing herself as an "agony aunt" she said neighbours would regularly gather at her house for coffee and a chat.
"Sometimes there would be a bit of music played but it was never as loud as it was made out," she said.
The 36-year-old said the Dolly Parton tunes were mainly put on by her son Joshua, 16, when he wanted to remember his dad.
She added: "They have sentimental value for him, I don't want to tell him not to listen to something that means so much to him."
A friend and neighbour, who lives opposite Ms Duffin's former home, said she had only heard Dolly Parton played twice a week.
The woman, who declined to be named, said: "It was no more than twice, it was if Josh felt down. It is really out of order what they have done to Diane."
And another former neighbour, who also asked to remain anonymous, said: "There was only one person with a problem. Ask anyone around here how popular Diane is. We all liked to visit her, I don't know what we'll do now."
Last October, Ms Duffin was given her last chance to turn the volume down after receiving 79 complaints in two years.
But last week's county court hearing was told she had committed four proven offences of excessive noise since then.
She said the hearing had left her with no choice.
"There was no decision I could make, be evicted or go to prison," she added. "If I went to prison the kids lose their mother, but now they have lost their home."
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
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Temperature: 8 C to 20 C
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