Child has has broken my fence!!

[Snappymcsnappy]

I am absolutely furious!

Fed up with people young and old trampling the flowers at the very front of my garden, I used what little money I have to buy a cheap plastic fence to stop it.

Me and DH thrilled with how lovely it looks, I stand at my kitchen today to see a boy about the same age as my eldest forcefully kicking my fence

I am pretty sure I have seen this child and his friends and their mums before, stomping on my plants, running into people's gardens and generally being a nuisance.

Second I opened the door to confront the little shit child he runs down the street to mummy, on realising that I've followed him and am going to confront him much cuddling up to mummy, hiding behind her.

Mum was very apologetic, I set about trying to fix my fence.
Cannot. It's bent beyond repair.

Then she starts telling me how it couldn't have been her child because he never lies to her and was walking with her, must have been her friends child...

No apology from other mother of course assuming this is true.
In fact, when I explained that it was a cheap fence that won't take kicking and I don't want my property damaged she looked to be stifling a laugh.
No chastising naughty child of course either.
Don't want to damage their spirit and all that shit I imagine.

I am so annoyed, but really really upset as well.

The garden used to be hedge, nettle and bramble.
Me and DH worked hard for years to get it pretty with very very limited money.

I don't have the money to be constantly replacing broken fence, even if it is super cheap.
Any little bit of spare cash I have I spend on trying to make my garden pretty.

When did people get so fucking disrespectful?!

Never, as a child would I have damaged someone's things because I knew it was wrong and that I would get a bollocking.
Ditto for my children, I would have firstly died of embarrassment had they done something like that, then offered to pay for a new portion and come down VERY hard on my children.

Not sure where to go from here.
They pass my house everyday and I suspect it will happen again.
I can't afford a more sturdy fence, nor can I afford to keep replacing a few panels regularly.
I could put in a insanely prickly blood drawing hedge but money again and I hate hedges and it's already shady so nothing will grow!

Put in a barbed wire fence.

Warn you will take to police and do so if no money is given. Ask friend or DH to walk along after them so you have their address, this way they know you have information for the police. Tell them you will inform the school too. Print stills of CCTV along with a quote for the cost of a new fence incl labour time and written notice of your actions, along with a timescale and pop it through the door.

Put CCTV in to a file on a mobile so you can show easily.

Non dry paint (anti climb paint) that would show up on the little brats shoes as a deterrent in future. Will not only identify the culprit but also ensure rude parents are stuck with the cost of replacing shoes/clothes. A decorative little wet paint sign will ensure no liability on your part

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrocnide_moroides

(maybe not )

Print off pictures from the CCTV and take it into the school, they will either have a word with the whole school, the child responsible or the parents.

I would also consider calling 101 and speaking to the community police officer

plant nettles/ hawthorn. That will stop the little shits. The mother sounds like a total moron - it's no wonder her child has turned out to be such a little brat. We used to put up with all sorts of problems from two brothers who caused mayhem and misery to many people who lived in our street. Luckily we moved away. They were known to the police but I don't think there was much they could do and I didn't want to confront them because they used to target people who did. I used to dread hearing them loitering outside our house.