Neighbour seems to think he has the right to jump our fence

[Twatforaneighbour]

We moved in about 3 years ago and put up a fence on top of an existing low height wall (which we own) across the front of our front garden which has a footpath the other side. We got planning to do this.

One of our neighbours had an issue with this, because his adult son (early 20s) liked to walk across our front garden and hop over our wall to save him from walking around. He put in a complaint when we went for planning saying that if the fence went up, we would need to make it safe as his son would be climbing over! The council made no comment on this.

This has made it inconvenient for him as it adds 5 mins walking time to walk down the road and up the public footpath. Since the fence went up, we clarified with the neighbour (the dad) that this was our property and our fence/wall, to make 100% sure there was no misunderstanding with who owns what, which he agreed.

We have now got video from our ring doorbell of "someone" walking across our garden and jumping the fence. It is unlikely to be anyone else as we are at the end if a small road.

What would you do? Trespassing is not a criminal offence. So far we cannot for sure identify the person as it was at night and not a great image.

They obviously see no issue with doing it so speaking to them wont help, Considered anti climb spikes but have seen you can be liable if trespasser gets injured on your property.
WIBU to get spikes if I put a warning with it?
Any suggestions? If he keeps doing it, it will end in damage to the fence and probably us paying for it

@Cattenberg, you do realise you are sounding ridiculous now?
If we were to all follow your thinking, no-one would have any fences, or come to that, the right to their own privacy on their own property.
Please do enlighten us all as to how you enable your neighbourhood to have free access to your property.

Why are people minimising? The OP doesn't have to justify why she doesn't want random people in her garden or climbing her fences.

It's her garden. It's her fence.

We added a Ring floodlight camera to our system. It has much better image quality than the Ring doorbell and the motion-activated floodlights work a treat.

@Cattenberg, oh, wait...
Just because you allow your neighbour access because it's a beneficial relationship for you, everyone else shouldn't mind their neighbours accessing their property, even if it's of no benefit at all?

taller fence, even with just trellis,
thorny bush
water jets (with dye in - pretend its fertiliser / or stinky manure fertiliser )
shot gun?

Our neighbour’s son used to jump over our wall and cut across our garden instead of walking round.

Soon put a stop to that.

I would probably be straight with neighbour and tell them the ring doorbell picked their son jumping the fence again so please ask him to stop.

I could understand a lazy young guy thinking maybe this is ok if he’s grown up doing it, but the adult parents should know better than to encourage it. I’m all for getting on well with the neighbours but this is off.

Waiting for the diagram..I wouldn't want someone walking across my garden and jumping my fence either, i think that would really wind me up. I remember years ago someone i know having a paint on top of their fence that was black and really sticky and couldn't be removed easily that deters people from jumping your fence!

Surely the anti paint signs have to go on the public side of the fence not your private side,though luck if he goes the wrong way and doesn't see them

@mineofuselessinformation, only my next door neighbours have access to the back garden. In theory, anyone could access the front garden, because it’s open plan, but it practice it’s just post people and delivery drivers cutting across.

I didn’t mean to hi-jack the thread. I never knew my West Country town was so unusual in this respect, but clearly it is.

Blackthorn hedge. It's a native species, lovely flowers in the spring, sloes for sloe gin in the autumn, AND VICIOUS THORNS 3CM LONG.

Super soaker filled with water and turmeric.
Anti-climb paint.
Hawthorn. Holly. A pit of snakes.
Photos.
Bang on neighbours door.
Shame!

I'd be pissed OP, you need to do what you need to do to stop this prick.

@Cattenberg

Yes I am serious. The previous owners presumably had no problem with it.

Where I live, the postman often cuts across front gardens to get to neighbouring properties and no one gives a fig. And doing this saves him far less than five minutes.

The postman is providing a service for everyone and it will be making his job a bit easier. The neighbour is just being lazy.

Penguin bollards maybe (actually just posted for the update of what you decide to do). Yanbu

@sbhydrogen

Super soaker filled with water and turmeric. Anti-climb paint. Hawthorn. Holly. A pit of snakes. Photos. Bang on neighbours door. Shame!

I'd be pissed OP, you need to do what you need to do to stop this prick.

you forgot the flamethrower

@Cattenberg

I was on your side until I read that it takes the neighbour an extra five minutes to walk round. That adds up to a lot of wasted time. I’m not surprised he jumps the fence when he thinks you’re not looking.

You are mount aren’t you?

Why should he trespass on someone’s land before abuse he is lazy

Sod the anti-climb paint, just smear dog poo all over the top. It’ll K’archer straight off when he’s learned his lesson.

Doesn’t have to be dog of course, there’s all manner of poos out there that an image-conscious 20-something won’t want on his threads.

Anti climb paint is best, but I agree over signage
So what about security lights ?

Do like the water sprinkler though

[quote Cattenberg]@mineofuselessinformation, only my next door neighbours have access to the back garden. In theory, anyone could access the front garden, because it’s open plan, but it practice it’s just post people and delivery drivers cutting across.

I didn’t mean to hi-jack the thread. I never knew my West Country town was so unusual in this respect, but clearly it is.[/quote]
You are being ridiculous.
We also have no hedges or fences on front garden , something to do with covenants related to when the houses were built .
Everyone who walks down the road follows the pathways , even the post people and delivery people use the pathways and driveways .... we have very long front gardens , 4 car lengths long.
My children could run diagonally across my neighbours garden toget home faster but they have been taught to be respectful of other peoples property.
Your response is so bizarre.

He put in a complaint when we went for planning saying that if the fence went up, we would need to make it safe as his son would be climbing over!

This is my flabber being gasted ➡️➡️➡️ 😵‍💫🤯🤯🤭

I'd ask them nicely for him not to do it and if that doesn't work I'd put up a higher fence.

Here's a slightly out of proportion diagram, my back garden is not actually as big as the neighbours plot but you get the gist of the layout of the road!

The neighbour opposite walks out of his door, turns right across my drive, over my little bit of garden and over the fence.

How about a lot of small plants with a sheet of glass over them, balanced on some bricks? A mighty crash as he lands might shame him into stopping.

Personally I'd plant something thorny there as others have suggested.

[quote mineofuselessinformation]@Cattenberg, are you serious? [/quote]
This is MN, of course he can't expect to be inconvenienced by having to walk a whole 5 minutes, poor babe.

He could solve it by putting a gate in his back fence, I think from the diagram?