A Selby man who stabbed his neighbour to death in a row over noise said today he had "no conscience" for the death because it was not of his making.

Thomas Richardson was speaking for the first time since he was cleared by a jury at York Crown Court of the murder and manslaughter of part-time firefighter Andy Campbell, 40.

Mr Richardson will appear on tonight's Close Up North programme as part of a BBC investigation into the growing problem of neighbourhood noise.

But Mr Cambell's widow, Debbie, 41, of Hempbridge Road, Selby, said today the TV interview would only "rub salt into the wound."

Mr Richardson, 43, a medical room attendant at Gascoigne Wood Mine, lived in Primrose Grove at the time of the incident, but has now moved to a secret address.

He told the programme that his family's life had been blighted because of constant noise from children on their estate in Selby.

York Crown Court was told that a long-running row with neighbours over children playing football against his house had culminated in a group of men arriving on his doorstep. Mr Campbell was then stabbed through the heart.

The jury decided that Mr Richardson had acted in self defence. Mr Richardson told Close Up North: "It was just a complete nightmare at the back of that door (of my house). The only thing I had to defend myself with was a kitchen knife. They shoved the door open - kicking it, booting it, shoving three or four times, and as they shoved the door open I put the knife through the gap.

"This happened a few times and then they stopped shoving. I noticed blood on the knife."

Mr Richardson added: "Although I'm responsible for killing a man ... I have no conscience for that death because it was not my making."

His wife, Susan, said: "I would come home from work and children would be kicking the football against the wall... for hours on end. The only thing I forgot to do was paint goalposts.

"You can't escape it - it's horrible."

Mrs Campbell said today she would refuse to watch the programme. She said: "To say he has no conscience about killing someone is unbelievable. You would think they are the victims."

She added: "A bereavement counsellor is coming to see me today for the first time.

"I'm still going through hell and all this interview will do is rub salt into the wound."

Updated: 15:18 Tuesday, March 05, 2002