‘Neighbours from hell’ spark legal battle by building 6-foot fence in front of front door

A couple is embroiled in a seven-year-long legal battle against their ‘nightmare neighbours’ after they erected a six-foot high fence outside their front door.

Gary Hambling, 48 and his wife Kerry 44 described their neighbours Garry and Jenny Wakerly as ‘bullies’ and ‘the neighbours from hell’.

The fence runs along a narrow drive to the Wakerly’s £1million home in Polstead, Suffolk, and is estimated to have cost around £160,000.

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The Hamblings and their three children moved into their 17th-century semi-detached ‘Garden Cottage’ back in 2015.

The property set them back £600,000.

One year later the Wakerlys erected the six-foot fence along their private driveway, lining the Hamblings house.

The family say the fence cut off access to the cottage’s front door from their driveway, leaving only six feet between the door and the fence.

They also claim the fence cuts off the views from the house to their field across the drive which was bought with the property and plunged the ground floor into darkness.

The couple claims that it also forces the family of five to walk along the dangerous 60 miles an hour A1071 Hadleigh Road in order to access their field.

Walking along the A-road is now the only access route for livestock being taken between the stables next to the house and the field, where they have previously kept sheep.

After seven years of back and forth, the couple took the issue to Norwich county Court, Norfolk but lost.

They have appealed to the High Court against that decision and now await judgment.

However, the Wakerlys have accused the Hamblings of using their front door to unlawfully trespass on their private drive to go between the cottage and the field.

Gary Hambling, who runs a building maintenance company with his wife, said: “They’re bullies. They are neighbours from hell.

“If we lose the case we’ll stay. I don’t like being bullied- they’re not being reasonable at all.

“It’s the worry and emotional stress that’s taken its toll. Life is hard enough as it is. Kerry would probably cry talking about this.

“When the fence was first put up the kids (who are now 16, 18 and 20) were young and were having to walk along the 60mph road.

“That’s not something we would have agreed to when buying the property.

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“The house is unsellable with the current situation. If we lose, at least we’ve tried.”

Garry Wakerly, who is retired, said: “Don’t believe what Gary Hambling says.

“He’s got a magic way of getting into people’s minds to make them believe what he wants.

“I’ve been to court with him, arbitration with him twice, I know what he’s like. That’s all I’m prepared to say.”

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