To call police on neighbours

[mrgrouper]

I have deliberately posted here to get the most blunt and candid responses. I could have posted on NM and had "there, there, poor you" responses, but I want people to be frank and am aware AIBU posters "tells it like it is".
We all moved into new build properties at the end of last year. Until 4 weeks ago had never spoken to these neighbours (have spoken to everyone else on the street, but these people keep themselves to themselves and I have no issue with that).
Anyway it all kicked off 4 weeks ago. My son aged 4 was on his bike and he went on what I mistakenly thought was a communal path. The lady of the house came flying out effing and blinding and threatening me with the police. I told her she was welcome to call the police, but as there was no crime committed it is time wasting. She then approached my son's bike and rammed him backwards with him on it, which scared him.
I fully admit calling her a moron at this stage, but when she put her hands on my son's bike I saw red.
I reported the antisocial behaviour to the HA on the Monday. They were told not to contact me after that and they asked me not to contact her, which I was happy to comply with.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and with hindsight I should not have reported it, because this has caused the behaviour to escalate. They have reacted by sending neighbours derogatory and unwarranted messages about me, and encouraging them to report me to get me evicted. My neighbours kept screen shots of this BS. My car has been keyed and a load of what I think is lime has been thrown over the dividing wall between our gardens, killing my grass. The man of the house has shouted abusive comments to my son who is only 4 and nasty notes have been put through my letter box.
I am getting CCTV put up next week so if there is any more vandalism of my property I have proof.
Can anyone advise me how to handle this? Citizen's advice recommend I report all of this crap to the police, however this may cause things to escalate further.
All I want is a quiet life.

Keep a diary, report everything and go to mediation if offered. It's awful living next door to bad neighbours and this needs to be resolved asap so you need to do everything you can!

I had no idea "learning difficulties" is also an unacceptable term.

It's not. There are professional tests for SpLD, which stands for Specific Learning Difficulties for conditions such as dylexia and dyspraxia for example. Learning difficulties have nothing to do with intelligence either, so saying someone has LDs is not accusing them of being stupid. No need to worry.
www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/help-information/learning-disability-a-z/l/204300

Right now I am feeling more positive and seem to be winning.
They cannot touch my car or garden now cameras are up.
They cannot badmouth me to the neighbour as she is sick of them and has told them to leave her out of it.
Cannot see what they can do now. My CCTV was a great idea.

So glad, mrgrouper

I would try and see if you can stick it out. The goal of an assured tenancy would be much better in the long run

hopeyou are ok

I am tons better. I still have depression, but to be fair 95% of that has not been caused by the neighbours, I have very difficult personal circumstances at the moment.
I am doing my best to stick it out. I guess if I move out, they will have "won" and some other poor sod will end up living next to them.
The HA have refused to pay my moving expenses but have referred me to this service for people with depression so hopefully that will help.

wow.
just had the lady who lives the other side round my house in a distressed state. They are now claiming her 7 year old is antisocial and was playing on their patch of grass and deliberately kicking a football at their house yesterday. They have reported her to the council.
My CCTV covers this little patch of grass and totally disproves this. They were not on her grass yesterday, save for one or two occasions when they were so engrossed in play they forgot. Nobody deliberately kicked a ball at their house.
this lady only gave birth 6 days ago and she is in a right state now her 7 year old has been reported for antisocial behaviour. He is a nice kid.
tempted to phone the council and show them my CCTV which proves they are making these allegations up.
think now they have been told to leave me alone they are targeting someone else.

I'd be in two minds. I'd be worried incase they started on me again, but i think i would in the end so they couldn't get away with it.
They really are scum xx

I think I would have to back up the nice neighbour, maybe make sure she has a copy of your CCTV video etc so it can be shown
its probably the last thing you want to do, get involved again, but if you and the other neighbours being harassed by these people stick together and back each other up with evidence/corroboration then hopefully the police/council/housing association will build up the true picture that your neighbours are threatening, harassing and making false/vexatious allegations about people
Do you think they are targeting those with perceived vulnerabilities eg mothers with young kids?

I so would show the council your cctv. Poor woman, only six days after giving birth too. You sound lovely OP.

I have emailed the council a screenshot of this grass every hour on the hour for the whole of bank holiday Monday.
All the kids on the street had a lovely day on Monday. They were playing out nicely on their trikes and scooters and then in the afternoon they all came in my house and worked together to make and decorate cupcakes. They all got to eat one cupcake and take another home to their parents.
This horrible cow is just targeting every parent on the street and it needs to stop. We have all had enough.

Sorry I meant to add that on NO screen shot are the kids on her patch of grass. Obviously this is not as much info as them reeling through 8 hours of footage, but shots on the hour represent what has gone on.

Well done, OP.

Oh sounds all too familiar, I have been emergency rehoused by HA twice in the last three years.

-Keep a diary of EVERYTHING. Times, dates, people involved.
-Call 101 whenever you feel threatened or they damage your property.
-Keep a trail of information - email your HO with your logs so they can't say they weren't informed of things.
-Ask if you can be considered to go onto the Emergency Transfer list, if you are classed as vulnerable and feel unsafe in your own home they will have to consider this (as a last resort), plus you have a child there.
-The HA have a 'duty of care' to keep you safe - it's in your tenancy agreement.
-Ask to be assigned an Anti Social Behaviour Officer, every HA has them. Mine was a great help and supported me for a year after I was moved (the first time).
-HA/ASB can get a court injenction to stop them harassing you and damaging property (this means they can be arrested and go to court if they breach the order).

• if still don't get anywhere contact your local MP for support.

Unfortunately in this case you will have to prove that they are victimising you, it can be a long road but stick by your guns. You don't want your child being brought up around these people in a hostile environment. It also doesn't do your mental state any good.

And don't leave. You will be financially worse off, your son will have the upheaval of changing schools and leaving newly made friends.
It sounds like you have the support of the street and in the end they will turn everyone against them.
The only other thing I will say is - have you spoken to the HA regarding your CCTV and what you are allowed to have it filming? Probably won't be allowed to have it pointing at communal areas or indeed other peoples property. I say this because my neighbour had it (adbvised by police), we had a break in, the police took videos as evidence, but we werent allowed to use it as evidence for the HA and they made my neighbour take down the outside cameras and he was only allowed one which pointed at his own front door (in a communal hall).

oh my days
just had the police around investigating reports of criminal damage, unlawful tresspass and antisocial children.
showed them the CCTV screen shots which clearly demonstrates they were not on her grass and there has been no criminal damage.
the kids are aged 4 to 8 and none of them are antisocial. they all play out nicely. the copper wanted to know if there were gangs of teenagers roaming the streets and there are not.

I think she has gone nutty now. One of my son's friends said she followed him, videoing him with her mobile phone shouting she would be turning the video over to the police. His dad went beserk at her and said she had no right to record the boy without his consent. The boy is only 8.

Oh woe! mrgrouper, what a disaster of a neighbour. I'm glad the community is coming together to deal with her.

Sounds likes she knows shes the one now in trouble so is trying to goad people

I think it is an attempt to divert attention away from her. I find her behaviour towards very young children to be a bit concerning. It is not OK to push my 4 year old on his trike and it is not OK to follow 8 year olds, recording them without their consent.
She has a little girl aged about 3 and that girl is the only kid on the street who does not play out with other children.

Poor wee girl with that woman for a mother

Keep a diary and report every incident to the police.
The police should also inform your H.A. Of every complaint they investigate.

Well I have lost the moral high ground now. Last night my son threw a branch into their garden. I have sent them an apologetic note but am fuming with him. He was being egged on by older kids.

well just got in and got a really nice note back saying they are hoping they can be friends with me. As I have Asperger's I am not very good at working out what other people think, so have no clue whether this is genuine or not.
It may be that I am friends with all the other people on the street, so they think being nasty to me could end up upsetting other people.