What the ...! 'Furious ' is not enough right now

[notjustamummythankyou]

Our garden backs onto allotments, and we have a high hedge mixed with brambles at that end. Nice and natural, not causing an obstruction over the path through the allotment on the other side.

The 'gentleman' who we suspect has just taken over the allotment on the other side of our hedge has taken it upon himself to cut back huge swathes of brambles alongside this path. Doesn't affect us but a shame as its a well known blackberry picking spot.

I came home today to find him pulling down our hedge too! I'm so angry, its untrue. He said it was 'a mess' (its not) and 'blocking the path' (it never has).our garden is now half-exposed to the allotments with just a knee high chicken wire fence meant to keep out dogs which will now let yooves in.

Apart from our lovely green room not being the same, its a real security issue. We've had some trouble with break-ins coming over that way in our road. We've always been relatively safe because we had a hedge and not a fence. It feels very exposed now.

I don't know what to do now. I'm not sure what come back I've got, if any. So talk me down: I need fast growing security-conscious shrubs for a 6 foot wide space.

And if you've got any gin, that would be good too.

Sounds more and more like this man has serious mental health issues. Perhaps it would be best to just ask the allotment people if they can move him to another plot and then be done with it? I'm afraid I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for this hedgicidal manic now .

I'd be quite tempted to take the hedge cuttings back. It probably wouldn't help matters.

Wonder if he cut down the hedge specifically to use it for his seedlings in the first place? I'd be sooo tempted to seed-bomb by now...

Any update OP? I'd be over there in the dead of night with every dandelion head I could get my hands on :o

Yes, we have a very unfortunate update!

Allotment Knob has not met the second 7-day deadline, which was last Friday. I had a very apologetic email from my man at the Council, who commented that AK's emails are completely missing the issue and are merely going over old ground ('scuse the pun) with 'he said, she said' rants.

So, we are no further forward. DH is rewriting our original letter of complaint to the council, and we'll be pursuing it through the police / small claims route.

It's all so strange, because at the beginning of all this, he seemed to agree to the plans to 'make good', but has now completely backed off.

Sigh. Can we arrange a Mumsnet Dandelion Collection box? And perhaps a slug one too? All donations gratefully received ....

Oh and Mairzy: I too have wondered whether the use of our branches on his allotment was his intention all along! Unbelievable.

What an awful person! I think that pursuing the legal route may be essential, otherwise if it all dies down he'll feel he is vindicated and will continue behaving like this.

As well as pursuing the vandalism, maybe you could make the council squirm by pointing out in writing that he's broken their rules and the law, and so you wonder what else he'd have to do before he lost the allotment plot? Threatening the local press may work wonders.

no dandelions. but we have tree seeds that root fast and strong and tenacious.

mirimar - dh (a solicitor by trade!) has made that very point. He's breached several clauses of his contract with the council and continues to do so. The council has to terminate its agreement with him.

Susan - seeds are good. Anything you can offer will be most welcome.

I lobbed a slug over the remainder of the hedge today. Felt gooooood.

Don't forget to throw any slugs you find onto his side too!! How rude of him! We have berberis...been very quick and has little thorns too. Or how about wild roses? The thorns on those are vicious but at least the husks are great bird food throughout the winter.

I have no advice or gardening knowledge, am just rudely marking my place

I can offer some tenacious geranium roots - not technically a weed, but bloody hell, it's got evrywhere in my garden, and I'm now treating it like a weed. Effing slugs don't seem to eat it either, just went for my newly-planted petunias .

And this was in no way a leetle bump to see if the OP had an update.

I can't offer you any plants weeds for this allotment but I can offer you support. Any updates from the council about getting him evicted from his plot/repercussions on this?

Shameless place marking. I can't believe the front of AK.

Would love to hear a positive update OP.

I imagine he feels that if he ignores the deadlines, eventually the council will give up.

Really, they should take his allotment off him. I bet there is a massive waiting list. Why should he continue to have it while sticking two fingers up to all? It makes a mockery of their rules.

Horrible man. I'd sneak in and cut the head off each of his prized flowers but that's probably not a great idea.

Aah got to the end of the thread thinking there would be an update. I really want to know what happened with AF.

I want an update too (please!) this sort of thing makes my blood boil. I agree he should have his allotment renewed. If there was really no malice then there would have been genuine contrition on his part for the 'mistake' he made and that would be confirmed by his actually doing something to make amends.

Hope there has been a resolution notjustamummythankyou.

Oh my blood's boiling for you notjust.

Hope everything has been sorted to your satisfaction now.

Sorry, that should say removed not renewed

He doesn't sound 'with it' at all, is he elderly? Presumably fit enough to decimate a hedge, but perhaps mentally unable to deal with consequences? I feel a bit sorry for the chap at the council. Am amazed they haven't removed him from the allotments though.

In my head he looks like Victor Meldrew!

One of those kids pump action water pistols filled with weed killer would be something I'd consider.

Yes - I imagined him as a Victor Meldrew type chap!

I would be very annoyed about the use of your branches and would be demanding them back! Cheeky bugger!

Hi - OP here. Sorry for going incommunicado but there wasn't really an update!

Well, waddya know. We reached a resolution at the beginning of this week! It's only taken since flamin' Easter.

We got £100. Or, rather, we are promised £100 with the poor chap from the council hoping to drop it round this week. We shall see if it materialises.

AK appears to be keeping his allotment, which makes an utter mockery of the terms of holding said allotment. Dh made a point to this effect to the council, but we've had no comeback on that.

And guess what?? The final line of the council's email to us with the offer of a £100 told us to ensure the hedge and undergrowth is clear of the allotment path, and that they will formally write to us in the autumn if it appears not to be done.

FFS.

1. The hedge was and has never blocked the path. We have photographic evidence of that.
2. Our neighbours' hedges are no better than ours - are they going to get a letter too?
3. Why should we clear nettles and brambles on the far side of our hedge, which are therefore not on our property but on (I assume) council-owned allotments? Isn't that their job?? In the entire time we've lived here the council has never cleared brambles along the edges of the allotments.

As I say, ffs.

Anyhoo, 'tis finished. We'll sort out the planting and put the whole sorry saga behind us.

And, yes, imagine victor meldrew with a beard and in walking gear, and you're very close! Git.

So they're now trying to make it your fault?