A 45-year-old Oldbury man who told police he tried to burn down his neighbour's home because he was fed up with his barking dogs has been placed on supervision for a year.

Darren Jukes informed officers he had used a liquid soap bottle to squirt petrol into a vent in the man's central heating system, said  Howard Searle prosecuting.

He said Jukes who maintained he had suffered sleepless nights and stress because of the two dogs also sprayed petrol on a piece of plastic piping leading to the boiler.

But Jukes, who made his confession at Smethwick Police Station, was found to have no way of setting the petrol alight, added Mr Searle.

He said Jukes was also found to be armed with a piece of wood studded with pieces of metal and  told police he would have used it if he had seen his neighbour.

Judge John Waite  said Jukes, who had been suffering from mental health difficulties,  had been living at the house with his family for many years and there had been no trouble

But after his neighbour moved in with the dogs, said the judge, it was clear their barking caused "real problems" and Jukes had made repeated complaints to police and the local authority.

"Undoubtably, the barking of these dogs caused stress and loss of sleep," said the judge who stressed the local authority were, at the time, working to try and resolve the situation.

"But on this day you undertook a very stupid and dangerous course of action," said the judge. "I am relieved to know that over the last few months there have been mo more problems."

Jukes, of Landswood Road, admitted attempted criminal damage and possessing an offensive weapon. The judge made it a condition of his supervision that he attend a mental health treatment programme.

Mr Searle said Jukes told police he had tried to burn down the house in temper because the dogs kept barking particularly when their owner was not at home and he took steps to go to the semi-detached property knowing the man was out.