I have been told recently of things a person was saying about myself and my family to a customer in the shop she works in. This woman and her family have been spreading malicious lies about me for about 4 years now (I used to go out with the womans brother). While the woman in question wouldn't be my favourite person I would chat away to her when buying things in the shop. She said to a friend of mine that me and my family were "nothing but bas**rds" and other lies about us, about which my friend promptly told me. This woman and her mother and brother (my ex but we live and learn!) are telling everyone and anyone who'll listen the same old lies and in a small town like ours, people are giving me dirty looks in the street (okay maybe its part paranoia, but i used to spend a lot of time in their house and know how evil their tongues can be).
What rights do I have in this case? I don't want to go involving the guards/solicitors but I don't want them getting away with it. I really just want them to shut up and stop bad-mouthing us and was thinking of giving her a (verbal!) warning but knowing her she would say I threatened her.