Neighbours children keep entering my garden

[user1468157973]

Between my house and the house that I back onto there is an exceedingly narrow gap in the fence (not even a foot). The children from the house behind (and their friends I'd guess) keep coming into my garden, and then using my gate (leaving it unlocked) to run into the street. I've caught the children and told them not to come in my garden (well the one girl who was brave enough not to run away). They later came around and apologised and said it'd never happen again, which I accepted. I wasn't in any way horrible to these children. I've come home after working away to find the gate wide open again, and it's evident that they've not stopped. I want to talk to the parents, but could use some advice. I also wouldn't mind some advice on how to best fill the gap. It's so small I'm at a bit of a loss.

I should add that one of the reasons I find this frustrating is being fairly absent minded, I often leave my back doors and garage doors unlocked. I'd hate for the kids to get into my garage, as there's loads of tools etc in there, that'd be dangerous for them. I do now try to remember to lock the doors though now I know there's a problem.

I can't padlock the gate without fitting a new bolt on it, but I guess I should do this too.

Stick a note on your gate 'I'm watching you!!! or park a wheelie bin on one side of the gate, that will slow them down and put them off!

Tried the wheely bin approach, made no odds to the little angels.

easiest thing is to block gap.
A strip of chicken wire stapled across?
Or a tall fence post dropped into gap?
You could grow nettles there or brambles or rosarugosa

Thanks MissMargie - it's such a narrow gap I'm just not sure what would work. Got a trellis, but think the children could easily move that. Just feel a bit annoyed. Lived here for ten years, the families that have lived behind me all had children, but it's only since this lady moved in, I've had any problems. Presumably, it was her who sent the children around to apologise, so I'd have hoped she had impressed on them that it wasn't okay to wander into people's gardens.

Borrow some geese!

I think chicken wire and a staple gun is your best bet

Hi Ave Eldon. I have two old trellis, might try no more nailing these. Where would I get chicken wire from - and do I need a certain type of staple? Don't want anything that looks bad from either side. It's difficult to describe, but my back 'fence' is actually my garage, there's a gap between the garage and the fence to my right where the builders never completed it. It's only child wide - I'm not fat, but i'd never get right in the gap myself to close it off, i'd just have to close it off at the point where the kids are getting in. I've fitted the padlock now - and its locked. Hopefully, when they realise this, the excitment of my garden will wane, as there is absolutely nothing in it, that'd interest children :)

just to update, I've left a nice note for the parents, telling them I'm having problems with little visitors in my garden, and I'm not sure if the boundary is mine or theirs but either way I'm happy to put up a fence to secure the boundary for us both. I had to push past my shrubs (ouch) to have a really good look, and there's a nice concrete post on their side, so a cut down fence panel would fit.