To not see a solution other than not using my garden?

[Cebr]

Or moving (which for various reasons I can't do).

My neighbours, family A (one side - other side are elderly and largely housebound) are arseholes of the highest order, as are their kids. They are pally with other neighbours, family B, between them they have 9 kids who are all pretty poorly behaved.

On a daily basis they ride bikes and scooters in my front driveway which is bad enough but the real issue is in the back garden.
As kids (often with Bs kids as they are in and out of each others gardens and houses constantly) deliberately throw balls, toys and indeed their rubbish into my garden.
They play ball up against my fence constantly (they broke the previous fence)
Let themselves into my garden - the gate is locked but they have climbed the fence before now
When I'm out in the garden they name-call me and my children. Or bang the fence constantly.
They sit on top of the fence and look into my house.

I hardly ever go in the garden now. What was a lovely space (it's a good size about 80ft x 40ft) is now completely overgrown.

I had a gardener round today and they all started banging on the fence. Then standing on it shouting for their ball etc. The guy said 'is it always like this?' and I said sadly yes. Wouldn't blame him for not taking the job!

I have in the past told the children to stop. This resulted in Dad B telling me he would sort me out if I ever spoke to his kids again. Mum and Dad A said kids were just being kids and they were doing no harm.

I contacted the police about the threat from B. They said as nothing had happened they wouldn't get involved. I explained about the kids but as they are all under 13 the advice was I should try not to antagonise the situation ie stay indoors. So that's what I've been doing.

I was hoping one or both families would move as they live in 2 bed houses but this doesn't look like happening anytime soon. I can't move. I would like to use the garden though but their behaviour makes it unbearable.

Is there anything else I can do to make it more tolerable? Or to stop me feeling sick every time I open the door hearing their screaming and banging, and seeing my fence shaking?

One of my children is also 6ft (and 19). They harass and take the piss out of him too (more to me, admittedly). I can't tell you how much I loathe all of them.

Thinking about it, the only time they do quieten down is when DS has his pals round for a BBQ/to kick a ball around, somehow the presence of 10 teenagers seems to intimidate them a bit. Unfortunately we've not done that this year due to this bloody virus.

I would replace the fence with a wall and put barbed wire, or cut glass on the top of it. They're not likely to climb over it then.

What about those cat repellent spikes (they're soft but uncomfortable!) or seagull spikes as a deterrent. Not ideal at all but will stop them sitting/leaning/climbing your fence & to anyone else you can claim its because of pests in your garden. Either that or anti climb paint. Have heard that's a nightmare to get off! Sounds extreme but if it's your fence there's not a lot they can do about it.

Friend had this. They popped every ball immediately with a pair of scissors and put pigeon spikes on their side of the fence. Got a motion activated sprinkler, padlocked the gate and frequently burned the chiminea right under them every time they hung over the fence. She and kids wore over ear headphones to listen to music in the garden and put up a tent and windbreak and they eventually stopped. All of those things are totally legal.

Brambles, stinging nettles, broken glass, razor wire (however extreme you can get but still legal...), barking dogs. Your DS and his most mouthy friends..

Haven't read the thread sorry. Could you put up a second inner fence that's at max height limit. So a metre inside the boundary each side put up a fence? So if they look over the fence they'll just see more fence. You could then ensure this inner fence is undesirable to climb...for example...glass spikes, tar, etc..

It would allow you some privacy.......and if anything tossed in just toss it back.

Yes I know you shouldn't have to lose any of your garden but if there's no other path, it may be an option. Also put up a gazebo type thing to afford you more privacy outside your back door maybe

Grow pyracantha up against the fence. Its the spikest thing I've ever come across. Agony if it catches you.

Stink bombs/loud music/broken glass around the edge of your garden. War zone! 😂

I'd put up a trellis - I might even put up barbed wire tbh. People like that do what they do because they think people like you/me/us won't do anything bad or won't retaliate. I think you need to retaliate.

For a start any time the kids are in the back garden being obnoxious and the parents are sitting in the front , I'd some horrible music on very loud in my own front garden and go back inside. I'd be as bad a neighbour to them as they are to you.

Hate people like this.

When I was a child a lady had an issue with kids climbing over her fence so she smothered the top of it in lard and the issue was resolved instantly. This was the 80s though.

I'd get a lovely new sprinkler system set up along the boundary fence and turn it on everytime they bother me

@thenightsky

Grow pyracantha up against the fence. Its the spikest thing I've ever come across. Agony if it catches you.

I was going to suggest this too! It's fairly easy to grow but it really is a spiky bastard!

Get spikes for on top of your fence?
You can’t move as you’d had to declare this anyway.

I hope you get it sorted!

Install cameras and engage a solicitor. If the police won’t take action, you need to take civil action against these dangerous people AND the police.

Loud music seems to help. Means I can't heard them anyway - I was out the front recently (cleaning/ vacuuming the car) and playing some fairly loud grime/ drill music. Might experiment playing that in the back garden too. Although I'm mindful not to make too much noise near my neighbours on the other side (elderly/ housebound...although I think from the volume of their TV they are a bit deaf so it's probably ok).

Get some cctv too! You can get cheap WiFi cameras on amazon!

Anti-climb paint on your fence , put up a warning sign.
Its a bugger to get off clothes and skin.

They sounds horrendous

All of the above plus spread dog crap along whatever spiky deterrent you put on the fence.
Your garden must need some really rich manure as well by now. After all if you can’t go outside then you aren’t going to be smelling it are you??!
I feel for you. Have you thought about outside speakers connected to radio 3?

@TheSunIsStillShining

We had similar situation but a bit more problematic as this was a shared garden with 2 houses, but separate owners. It was a summer house, but we lived there from June to Oct most years. Let's say they are family A, and next door neighbor, Family B. Family A: had issues from start as they had a dog and I am terrified of dogs. Put up a fence, so it was okay for a few years. Then they started drinking heavily and had parties almost every day until 6 am, loud music,.... We tolerated that as well, as police came, saw, did nothing. And they parked the friend's cars in our garden, saying they didn't have enough space and didn't want to leave it on the roadside. Given the legalities this could only be disputed in court and my parent didn't want to go to court. Which was a huge mistake.

Family B: chickenwire fence, huge dog that could jump over, 2 kids my age, but horrendous, hated each other from start.

When I grew up (past 18) i opted not to go there only for a few weekends, but i could see nothing changed and I was constantly in fear because of the dogs.

When my son was born we came to the conclusion that this whole situation can't go on as we want to be there with him from apr to oct instead of a tiny 39sqm apartment. So it needed sorting.
Had a talk with both families, about the same reply as you got. And they didn't like that there was a small kid, so they upped their game: throwing empty beer bottles over the fence which sometimes broke in the grass on a rock. They hit his leg with one, and i had to take broken shards from his hand. Constant partying (now ppl in their late 40s), noise until 6am and constant belittling of us (verbal assault is what I put in my police report at one time).
Every nap time they cranked up music. But only in naptime.
Then came the actual verbal assaults when they jokingly started talking about how easy it will be to run over my son with their car, as I can't watch him every second and I need to go to the loo at one point.
I'm writing this just for context and to show that I am not a horrible person, just been harassed to the point of breaking.

1. obviously many police report over the years, but nothing happened
2. got sleeping pills, put them in sausage and threw it over the fence. Bit too much, dog was sleeping for days. Did this until they got rid of the dog. Both families (I knew they had places to take them)
3. fence: first got a proper fence made and got it made 3 meters high. Put cement and shards at the top. Forgot to tell anyone.

On the small fence on the shared property: wood fence was about a meter high, added chicken wire up to 2,5 meters with some barbed wire inbetween.

1. The part that was used as a driveway and the gate got cemented in as well. It spilled. I'm sorry. I did leave a footpath as per the legal req.
2. almost every day around 7 am (my son woke at 6... hell): my mum would take my son for a walk or for a swim and I'd blast my favourite music on full volume - Rammstein, death metal, hardcore techno. Given they partied until 4-6am this rattled them a lot
3. got a camera fitted that took in most of our garden. And went with that to the police on many occasions (just to have a paper trail, nothing happened)
4. I took them to court over a hole lot of things.
5. anything that got thrown over - i'd gather them and throw back. Plus our daily thrash with it. I'm clumsy, the bag slipped out of my hand.

Tbh I was utterly ashamed of myself and am happy that I shielded my son from most of it. The only thing i couldn't shield him from seeing is when one of their guests knocked me out with a left hook in our very own garden when i told him to fuck off and not piss on my son's slide frame or I"ll cut his dick off. He literally came to our part of the garden to relieve himself! My son was playing in the sand under the slide. I think it's understandable that I was a bit less than civilized at that point. This is a more extreme story*, but some points might help (fence, music, throwing trash back +some). You don't have to be british/civilized. forget it. Just make sure that you smile and say sorry /didn't notice/forgot to say? if they complain and keep doing it.

Thank god that never in my life before or after had to even shout at anyone in public.

*and this is only the first half of the story :(

You poisoned their dog? Just because you don’t like dogs?

You realise you were the arsehole neighbour in this scenario, right?

Leylandi. It grows quickly. The only rule on height is that it doesn't infringe your neighbour's 'reasonable enjoyment' of their property. Should stop most of the issues you're having and not very comfortable for them to sit and abuse you on.

You can get some paint that is supposed to deter people from climbing over, the clothes get covered in it, try that

I would also throw back everything they throw over , after dunking it in something horrible

Play music loudly everything they go on the garden

I would also report then to environmental health at your council, it’s antisocial behaviour which they can deal with

And contact the landlord of those renting

Play some loud opera. A gazebo is a good suggestion and wear earplugs.

Get some noise cancelling headphones for when in the garden, they're brilliant things I'm addicted to mine.
It sounds horrible op, the only thing with thick oiks is to ignore, it's the reaction they want.
At least the parents sit out the front, got to be grateful for small mercies.

This thread is quite shocking!

OP, I hope you get a solution.