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

Newly Granny

I did wonder if that was from the League of Gentleman

Google defensive planting. After we were burgled by someone coming over our back fence we debated this.

If it were me- and I've been in a similar situation- I'd be friendly and let him cut through my garden. I think it's mean not to. Life is short

I personally wouldn't use anti-climb paint or spikes yet as it will aggravate the situation.

I think the Ring Floodlight doorbell is a good idea. You could also put some Christmas decorations on the top of the wall as a short term solution. Is it a fence or trellis? Maybe you could put some hanging baskets or train some plants along the fence on top of the wall. Something like that.

There was a similar thread to this years ago but things got out of hand and the police were called.

Actually I found the Army Dad thread. I must have misremembered it ending badly.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2930602-Neighbour-constantly-walking-through-my-front-garden

As I read that diagram, YANBU at all to have a bigger fence there as security from the footpath. I'd also plant some blackthorn shrubs along that side and make sure my large dog was out in the garden at the times the CF is likely to come through.

Keep pottering around the garden the time he usually goes out / returns. Upon seeing him, if he still does it infront of you, remind him its private property and politely ask him to stop cutting through. We had similar with old neighbours, I spent a lot of last year doing this, being polite but constantly reminding their older teenagers, in the end they stopped. It was frustrating trying to keep the peace when they're just blatant twats. Good luck.

@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.

Well by this logic, the next time I walk from my house into the village I'll just traipse straight through my neighbours' gardens as it saves me from walking around the block. Much better to go the faster, more direct route even if it means I impact on other peoples' privacy and potentially damage their property. Who needs footpaths when I can save time?

I bet he doesn't climb own fence as dad would moan about breaking it.

A climber or rambling type rose on climber supports in front of fence would be pretty. I think Pyracantha can also be trained against a fence so more vertical to take up less room than shrub shape. Combine with those plastic cat spikes/vandal paint, Ring spotlight and sprinkler would probably soon put him off.
If you could also set up a bunch a home alone style booby traps and the post the footage for the rest of us to enjoy.

Besides the motion-activated sprinkler,
I vote for @Practicebeingpatient's plan of
soggy boggy manure trench along fence.

And @TrashyPanda gets honourable mention,
for the mine-field of squeaky toys.

What a cheeky lazy swine

While I agree with posters saying plant spiky plants ( Blackthorn are the king of spikeyies) I think the would take to long to grow and get damaged before they could get their job.
So I would go for either ring flood lights , providing they dont annoy your nice nighbours.
Sprinklers on a sensor system
Or buy a a few lasers and a dozen small mirrors and create a booby trap puzzle for him to try to get through , you would need to stand guard out of sight and use a air horn / loud squeaky toy then when he is 10 seconds from his own garden start a robotic sounding count down importantly it must start at 5 seconds and watch him scarper like a loon

Pyracantha can be kept as a shallow hedge. It also has pretty berries at this time of year.

I would have endless fun with this

I agree it would take a while for a hedge to establish so the other mechanical methods would work in the mean time.

I like the idea of a big pond. Sorry you're dealing with this OP. The Neighbour should clearly be going over his own fence, and just hasn't yet copped on to the fact that the low wall he knows and loves is no longer a low wall.

If the fence has a top flat rail add security spikes, they are readily available from fencing suppliers. If the fence doesn't have a top rail add one and the spikes. Backing onto a public footpath it's not a bad thing to have anyway and should hopefully deter the neighbours son.

@Phobiaphobic

I'm just here for Cattenberg's nonsense.

tbf, @Cattenberg changed their opinion once the OP posted a diagram. I didn't agree with their initial posts, but I'd also pictured the set up differently in my head until I saw the diagram. Fair play to them for admitting that rather than arguing on regardless like so many people do on MN!

How do you access the footpath Op?

@EscapeTheCastle

Plant some roses. Not sure if this is the right time to plant them though...pick a super thorny one.

It’s a good time to plant them, you buy bare root ones now and they’re much cheaper. I’d also second the pyracantha option.

@farnworth

Holly bushes

Too slow growing arthritic old age will stop the neighbour before they do

@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.

This has to be a joke, how can anyone think it’s ok to tramp across someone’s garden whenever they want.

I know a lot of people have said it, but I don’t understand what it is that makes him not want to jump over his own fence. If it is a different style of fence, then could you install similar so to hopefully put him off.

Spiky carpet gripper rods along the top of the fence. Job done.

@Aprilx

I know a lot of people have said it, but I don’t understand what it is that makes him not want to jump over his own fence. If it is a different style of fence, then could you install similar so to hopefully put him off.

Op said upthread they are further up a hill so the fence is easier to climb.

@Twatforaneighbour

Maybe something like this ?

www.insight-security.com/roller-barrier