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?

Could you concentrate your efforts on making one small corner of your garden livable somehow, screen it off as much as you can?

Then use as many deterrents as you can elsewhere. I like the idea of the barbed wire, the anti climb paint and lobbing stink bombs discreetly over their side.

I would definitely also get some sort of CCTV and start logging it all.

If my neighbours play loud annoying music (and yes , even in LockDown I heard people leaving , taxis , cars doors etc, loud "Bye Hun" type shit chattering ) ............. I punish them by leavig the vacuum cleaner on right up against the wall ajoining their bedroom.
Raise the beater bar to protect the carpet .
Noise travels ...............

I'd be tempted to throw a handfull of birdseed or mealworms right by theor washing twirly . See how much shit the birds can muster .
Act of God , birds .

Other suggestions:

• CCTV cameras pointing into their garden (or at least at the fence). Make them very conspicuous. You could print out images of the kids misbehaving and post them through their letterbox. At the very least, it'lll freak them out even if the parents don't do anything about it. Maybe it'll make them move.
• Personal alarms. Give one to each of your kids. Any time they are being abused, tell them to turn it on at max volume.
• Throw anything that comes over back (rubbish). Make sure balls/toys go back accidentally 'broken'.
• When your other neighbours go out for the day/afternoon, put on really loud obnoxious music and go out yourselves so they can't even come round and shout at you about it.
• Put a sprinkler on your front driveway. Whenever they are on it, turn the sprinkler on. Also, turn on the personal alarms and keep them going until they leave.

My father in law got fed up of kids climbing the tree outside his front window, so he covered it in grease. That worked.

Put up trellis. Get your son and a few of his mates over to paint the fence in exchange for a few beers. Then put anti-climb paint or grease on the top of the fence.

Sit outside with your back to them and put music on with noise cancelling headphones. Ignore all attempts to escalate - if they start chucking stuff etc, don't react.

Have you considered CCTV if they are trespassing into your garden?

I remember hearing about somebody who had fallen out with their neighbour and just to annoy them when they were in the garden the neighbour would start up a petrol strimmer I think it was and just leave it on tick over for a few hours to ruin their time outside

I recommend planting pyracantha along the fence and letting it grow. It is very thorny, grows fast and dense
Let it grow above the fence and they'll soon stop sitting on it and climbing over.
Other thorny plants include berberis, hawthorn, some rose's are really thorny.

Dont let them win, bastards.

these aren't cheap, but they are sanity savers. I can be in a houseful of rowdy teens, a howling dog and DH faffing on with power tools and be totally oblivious.

I'm so sorry OP. I would move.
I had nightmare neighbours and when I moved it was like my head being released from a clamp!

Anti climb paint - seriously - it works . I had the neighbour's kids climbing on my fence and gate all the time and had to replace it after they broke it. Anti climb paint did the job! They only have to go home once covered in sticky, unwashable goo to make them stop it. Just make sure you put warning signs up so you're not held liable.

Is it illegal to put electric wire through your fence?

Get a few aggressive dogs who can jump very high :)

@StripeyDeckchair gives much better advice.

A family I know got two very mean dogs who very quickly scared the rebellious kids from sitting on the fence and shouting in. The dogs also wrecked the garden... so perhaps thorns are a better bet 😅

Invest in a wall and anti vandal paint when they threaten you call the police everytime personal alarm for the kids spiky bushes and stab every single ball that comes in get cctv for when the threats start Call the landlord on the ones who don't own report every single transgression even a cigarette butt get one family out the other will hopefully shut up

I think anti climb paint and spikey bushes would be my first port of call.

Gatherings of six outside now permitted, so get your son's mates round.

Did you mention a gardener ? I think before you start with a gardener you need to make sure you have fully prepared your soil, pig shit or chicken shit is very good manure and will ensure your soil has all the required nutrients. If you are thinking of growing climbing plants it will be worth smearing the fence in it for good measure. It is a little maloderous
Or you could open your garden up to Mumsnetters for an impromtu socially distanced 'learn to love your vaginal discharge through the medium of Jazz percussion' 72hr festival, just throwing that out there, the idea not the discharge

Information from citizens advice and government website. Note that neighbour dispute may need to be disclosed when selling property, but might already be covered by the police report you made already. Ultimately government website has go to court.

www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/problems-where-you-live/complaining-about-your-neighbour/

Didn't poison the dog. Made it sleep a lot. Otherwise they left the doors open and encouraged him to play in our part of the garden.
If you read it and it comes across as I'm the terrible person than you have something wrong with you.
Threatening to run over a child multiple times and throwing glass at him, injuring a toddler... and I'm a terrible person for wanting to have a few non-panicky days without being constantly on alert about dog? (you do understand how phobias work, right?).

@frumpety

Did you mention a gardener ? I think before you start with a gardener you need to make sure you have fully prepared your soil, pig shit or chicken shit is very good manure and will ensure your soil has all the required nutrients. If you are thinking of growing climbing plants it will be worth smearing the fence in it for good measure. It is a little maloderous Or you could open your garden up to Mumsnetters for an impromtu socially distanced 'learn to love your vaginal discharge through the medium of Jazz percussion' 72hr festival, just throwing that out there, the idea not the discharge

I like that idea . Although in one country I lived they use 'human manure' - it's a whole hell of a lot smellier than pig or chicken.

@Handsoffisback

They sound like utter scum. Poor you OP. Totally agree with others about spikes and anti climb paint on top of the fence. I’d find out who the LL is as well and report them continuously. thesun Jesus Christ your story is awful, was that in the UK?

nope, eastern europe. The legal part started 13 years ago and ended last autumn. :(

Maybe try Anti climb paint.

I'd start filming them too might deter them

I think you have to go weird.

Take sensible precautions (CCTV, a diary, fence, spiky plants)

Then go weird.

Like dressing up in odd clothes and performing rituals in the garden - gesticulating at their house.

Speak in tongues

Dance in the rain

Hoover the grass

That sort of thing?

does your local authority have an anti-social behaviour team?

For all those suggesting the OP gets CCTV she won't she was advised to do this last year.

At least it sounds like the neighbours have stopped accusing you of flooding their garden OP

I would develop a sudden interest in keeping bees, aquire some hives or offer your garden to a local beekeeper and have the hives set up so that the bees line of flight goes straight across your neighbours garden. If the children should happen to cross the bees flightpath they will soon know about it!

How awful. I agree with others that fight fire with fire is the only thing that works with selfish idiots like that but like all bullies you have to stand up to them. Grow something up the fence or put wire up to stop them climbing it. Throw their rubbish back over the fence and keep any balls etc that come into your garden or destroy them. Put up CCTV if you can afford that. Play music, invite your DS's friends over and generally show them you will not be intimidated.