AIBU to be fuming my neighbours have destroyed my fence? (again)

[Furioso]

I can't prove it of course. But one panel of the fence has been completely broken, the top part has come off, and half the slats are missing. I only saw it today for the first time as I can't see that part of the fence from inside the house, and hadn't been out there for a bit.

Definitely not storm damage, firstly because the storms weren't that bad here, and secondly because it's panels between concrete posts, as DP said it would be odd sort of storm damage to damage it from the top. No fallen trees or branches either. It looks like it's been broken by being climbed on/ over, and the neighbours children have form for this. They climbed over my garden gate before now until i put some wood in front of it, so it's not beyond the bounds of probability they've tried to find another way in.

I'm really annoyed because I only replaced the fence 3 years ago. One of the panels then had been destroyed by their kids hoofing a ball up against it constantly, but it was a 20 year old fence so needed replacing, their ball antics just hastened it's end. But I really resent paying now because the arsehole kids next door and their arsehole parents have no respect for other people/ other people's property.

I also don't know how I can protect the next panel from being climbed on...are pigeon spikes allowed or illegal now? A camera wouldn't work because I can't set one up other than in the middle of the garden due to the angles, and to film the fence it would film their garden, which wouldn't be legal either.

They are able to climb on the fence because the dad/ chief arsehole built them some kind of platform at the back of the garden about 5ft off the ground, near my fence. I've got trees/ bushes nearer the house as otherwise they'd see straight into my house from there and I'd have zero privacy, as the house is at a lower level than their 'viewing platform'

I know there's no point in speaking to them, they will just deny it and basically laugh in my face, suggest I must be a bit confused (headtilt) etc. I asked their children last year not to play on my driveway with their bikes and mum arsehole badmouthed me to a load of passersby, because my driveway was empty (it wasn't, my car was on it, and even if it was, it's still my bloody driveway!) And what an awful person I was etc.

I despise them all. Unfortunately I can't move for a few years so I am rather stuck with them for now (they also own). I've been told the police won't do anything unless one of them is violent to me. And I don't want to escalate any dispute so it becomes declarable on any future sale. I just feel totally powerless which is so frustrating.

If I don't replace the panel then it will just get damaged further, and I'll end up with a missing panel, and I suspect the kids freely using my garden (which is 3x the size of theirs). From a security pov, I feel I need an intact fence.

There are brambles up there but that doesn't seem to have deterred them so I'm not convinced an spiky bush would. But something else I can try.

Pyracantha thorns are awful, much worse than brambles, but that would take a bit of time to properly grow enough to be a deterrent. I would still plant them though, it would be worth it. They're very good nature wise and will be a deterrent in a couple of years. Before that I would repair or replace the fence panel then apply the anti-vandal paint. You do need to put warning notices up to comply with the law. With a bit of luck the first time they get that stuff on their clothes will be the last time they try that.

I had to use anti-vandal paint around my property as I had the delightful neighbourhood kids climbing up fences and running and jumping onto the flat roofs. In a row of terrace houses, they all had a small rear yard with flat roof kitchen extensions. Kids thought it great to jump across the yards directly on to the roofs. So dangerous, they are not playgrounds! I asked them nicely to stop, of course they didn't they just jeered at me but all I could do was apply the paint and hope they ruined their clothes.

Don't put up carpet gripper rods or broken glass, you run the risk of being sued and I don't think courts look favourably on people who set out to harm children deliberately (which is what it would be).

I really feel for you OP, it is massively stressful when your neighbours are awful.

If you have the top strip, then you can repair it fairly effectively. It might not look beautiful, but it would work for the time being.
repair, paint with anti climb paint, put up a sign. If you like put a fake friendly note through the door
"just to let you know I have had trouble with something breaking my fence, think it is the cats/foxes so I've put special paint on it to keep them off. Shouldn't be a problem for your kids as obviously they wouldn't climb on a fence, but just to let you know.

I would be tempted to put a roll of barbed wire along it, but I suspect that isn't legal.

Rugosa roses grow quickly, have lovely flowers, rose hips in autumn and really prickly stems.

I don't have any of the broken fence parts, I expect they are somewhere in next doors garden.

Re the anti climb paint, I've been reading online and it sounds like id have to put the sign somewhere visible to a member of the public. I guess if it's on an external wall or gate, you'd just put a sign on the outside. But in my case if I put a sign in my garden it wouldn't be visible to the neighbours so couldnt they complain about it? I guess I could stick a sign to the 'other side' of the panel to be replaced. Would that be sufficient?

as long as neighbours can read it, it can go anywhere.
yes I would put it directly on the fence panel

Agree with PPs re plants rather than paint / glass.

Berberis comes in a variety of leaf and flower colours and is thorny as f*uck.
Gorse or rugosa rose hedging are worth considering.

You could plant holly as a hedge on stilts with something underneath. So full top and bottom thorn barrier.

More expensive than replacing the fence panel but longer lasting.

Pyracantha is great, my neighbour has it int the garden and I can attest to how sharp it is. So sharp it goes through gardening gloves, I have to cut down the over hanging branches sometimes and I'm always super careful but once I wasn't and ow!!! Doest stop the foxes though, dammit.

Reading this it seems whatever you use you need to put a sign up, can you do that? If so i would go with cat spikes, hopefully a touch is all it takes to deter them, the paint could ruin clothes and they'll go crazy at you.
Also second planting some thorn covered climbers like a rose.
In terms of camera you could buy a battery operated wildlife camera, i think they sometimes come with a pole to mount them to or you can fasten to a tree

www.insight-security.com/are-anti-climb-spikes-legal#:~:text=People%20considering%20various%20perimeter%20security,in%20accordance%20with%20the%20law.

Can’t believe the cheek of some posters on here telling OP to ‘suck it up’ and ‘just don’t replace it’ right, because let’s all excuse kids shitty behaviour! Big yes to the paint OP, don’t back down and let them trash your property.

Another recommendation for pyrachantha. It is unbelievably painful if you get spiked. The thorns are over an inch long and it will be impenatrable.

I personally would prefer to do this and wait for it to mature than do something like anti-climb paint which might get their backs up and worsen the current situation. Go stealth. See if you can find somewhere selling fairly tall and mature plants and plant them up now with loads of well rotted manure.

OP just on the cameras, if you get a Blink camera, you don't need to pay anyone to install or wire anything up. It's battery powered and as simple as putting it where you'd like it and pressing go. I've got one attached to a fence at the back of my garden and one on the wall at the front.

If you have plants on your side of the garden fence, get a load of manure and 'treat' the soil with some of it and then I'd spread some on the top of the fence panel.
Could you attach a motion activated camera to a tree trunk on your side of the garden and have some bird feeders located in front of this panel and then it would record both the bird activity and anyone who happens to be climbing on the fence?

The spikey plant suggestion has to be the one.
It has a legitimate reason to be in the garden (so no legal risk) if they break the fence it still stops them coming in, it’s less aggressive and confrontational than putting strips or anti climb paint on it.

And good for wildlife.

I think I would staple gun some wire or plastic roll fencing between the posts then plant something on your side. I don’t think it’s worth antagonising your horrible neighbours further.

Pyracantha. Definitely.

Grows fast and is sooooooo spiky. It will stop them.

I know you said the parents will deny it. But I would still ask. "Hi Betty, do you know if your children have been climbing my fence, it has been broken" "no my dreams would never do such a thing", "OK, said I'd check, someone is climbing it and causing damage, I am going to put glass/ spikes/ paint on it to hopefully stop these random people from breaking into our gardens"
At least you have them warned
Also PPs saying suck it up, I don't care if it is 10p to replace they are breaking your property!!