‘HER EVIL SPELL IS OVER’

Widnes witch had 632 seized footballs in her garden shed

A NEIGHBOURHOOD ‘ witch’ who terrorized children for three generations has finally been brought to justice.

For more than 40 years Wendy Mayhew, 76, has been making her neighbours’ lives a misery thanks to her constant moaning.

Any time a ball was kicked onto her lawn it was

confiscated, never to be seen again.

She was constantly calling council officials over the slightest noise and anyone parking in front of her house was screamed at.

On the estate in Widnes, Cheshire, the former shop worker was known as ‘ Witchy Wendy’ and the sight of her sent shivers down neighbours’ spines.

Frisbees

But she took her grouchiness too far when she threw a bucket of dirty dishwater over a six- year- old child who had tried to retrieve a ball from her front garden. Police were called and she was arrested.

When they searched her house they found a huge haul of confiscated kid’s toys that she had taken from neighbours’ children over the past four decades.

They included 632 footballs, 349 bouncy balls, 111 Frisbees, 12 scooters, 63 dolls, seven teddy bears, 456 Star Wars figures, 222 Action Man figures and four popped space hoppers.

Mayhew admitted assault and was given a police caution. They are now considering charges of theft over the toys.

A source said: “This is a tricky one. Many of the people who were her victims have long since left the area.

“It will be a very interesting case but the evidence speaks for itself.”

One neighbour, who was too scared of Mayhew to be identified, said: “She has been a tyrant around here for years. I’m in my 20s and my mum was scared of her. Every generation called her Witchy Wendy. She was terrifying. You knew not to go anywhere near her house.”