Homeowners in a Laois housing estate are living in fear of a family that councillors want evicted from their council house.

A litany of intimidating behaviour and crime including machete fights, training dogs at night, neighbours assaulted, and car chases across footpaths.

Laois councillor Aisling Moran listed the claims at the September meeting of the Graiguecullen Portarlington Municipal District.

"A neighbour in a window got a sling shot in the face, they are fighting with machetes, they are training dogs at one in the morning," she said.

The family should be evicted, she said.

"There should be a three strike rule, and then they should be evicted. Why should it cost the state money? Decent people wouldn't act like that. I know if we evict them they go back on the council housing list. If we don't let them back on the list, we put the onus on them. If they say they can't provide a home for their kids, then we will provide a home for your kids," she said.

She tabled a motion before making her claims, to install a second bollard on the roadway between the Graiguecullen housing estates of Heatherhill Square and Heatherhill.

"This bollard was put up because when they were being chased by the Gardaí they drove up on a path," Cllr Moran said.

Cllr Padraig Fleming seconded and described more behaviour by the family.

"Half this estate of about 36 houses are council, half mortgaged. There's none that haven't been affected. They have made major complaints to the council. Young people are knocking on doors asking people to buy beer because they are under age. Families are afraid to let children out to play. Children are after being attacked. They are being intimidated, threatened, still nothing has happened. The trouble a family can make destroys the balance, the niceness the decency and the safety.

"Rubbish is piling out the back of their house. The smell is terrible. A caravan was pulled in to the front door for big parties, the council told them to move it but it just continues. Horses were brought into the back garden," Cllr Fleming said.

While the council has conditions that a tenant signs up to on contract, "the process doesn't work", Cllr Fleming claimed.

Laois County Council says it will arrange for additional bollards to be installed in order to deter anti-social behaviour".

The Director of Services Gerry Murphy said the other problems were a Garda issue.